


The Dissonant Notes Of Fate

by TripleHomicide



Series: Destiny [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Book 3: The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson), F/M, Minor Luke Castellan/Thalia Grace, Perlia, The Second Titan War (Percy Jackson), badass thalia, percy as a titan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 49,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27032443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TripleHomicide/pseuds/TripleHomicide
Summary: He was ridiculed. He was cursed. He was locked away. And then he was forgotten. Perseus the youngest son of Gaea was cursed by the gods and exiled to the Island of Ogygia for aiding the Titans in the First Titan war. With the Titans rising again, he is needed to bring Olympus to it's knees. But can a certain blue eyed daughter of Zeus change his perspective of things?
Relationships: Thalia Grace/Percy Jackson
Series: Destiny [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023307
Comments: 15
Kudos: 94





	1. Prologue

The boy frowned a bit, and tilted his head, taking in his surroundings. How had he ended up here? A few seconds ago he had fallen asleep...

And then his eyes widened in alarm. A dream.

This was a dream.

His frown deepened. He hated dreams. They were always dark and foreboding and filled with death and despair. And memories.

Memories of the past.

Memories he wanted to forget.

But at the same time, they showed him a bit of what had become of the mortal world after he left it. After he was exiled. He shook those thoughts away and turned around in a slow circle, wondering why and how nobody in the room had noticed him yet. He marveled slightly under his breath, soaking in all the new stuff of the mortal world. There was weird music coming from one corner of the room, where a guy was fiddling with some sort of device. There were weird round red and black floating things, and the name popped into his head. Balloons. And then there were the people.

They were all dressed funny. He didn't see any chitons or robes or tunics. Just a weird assortment of colors and baggy clothes. The world had really evolved. So much that he didn't recognize it.

And then he saw them walk in.

His breath hitched when her blue eyes flickered over to his direction. He was about to speak when he remembered it was just a dream. She probably couldn't see or hear him. She had dark black hair and electric blue eyes which seemed to send sparks shooting through him. And she was dressed in all black.

His gaze flickered over to the others in her group. Two blonds. A boy with blue eyes and a scar on his face, running down to his cheek, and a grey eyed female. And then there was the goat. He knew immediately that it was a satyr. Meaning the kids were demigods. Children of his brother Kronos' spawn. The blue eyed girl didn't look older than he appeared to be. Being stuck in a fourteen year old's body was really annoying. No one took him seriously. Not even his own siblings. He missed the days when he could change his appearance and age. The blond boy looked to be about twenty. He wasn't sure that was accurate though. And grey eyes was fourteen.

"So what's the emergency?" Scar face asked. The goat's eyes flickered across the huge room.

"I found two of them," he spoke, still looking around nervously.

Girl-in-black said something, and his frown deepened. "Two demigods? In one place?"

He scanned her again. Blue eyes. Black hair…Daughter of Zeus. The boy's brow creased in distaste. He had always hated his upstart nephew, the oh so mighty King of The Gods Of Olympus.

He glanced back at the girl. His attention and mind had drifted for a few seconds and he had missed the rest of the conversation, but then the goat spoke. "The monster's the vice principal. Dr. Thorn."

-Line Break-

It had been about thirty minutes now. He couldn't take his eyes of her as she danced with scar face. Blondie had gone off with the goat, and the daughter of Zeus was with the boy with the scar. He didn't know why he felt red hot anger course through him at the close proximity between the two demigods, but he didn't try to act on it. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, he listened in on their conversation.

"Did Annie tell you about the problem with her dad?' Scar face asked Girl-In-Black. She nodded.

"I'm worried for her, Luke. I mean, she can't go live in San Francisco. It's right there."

Luke nodded, and sighed. "The titans are regrouping again. It'll be horrible living in San Francisco. I'm just mad the traitor who poisoned your tree hasn't been revealed yet, Thalia."

Titans. He held back a gasp. His siblings were going against the gods again?

That couldn't be possible. They were all in Tartarus. Kronos was dead…

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He would try to find out more information from Hephaestus when he woke up. He turned his attention back to Luke and the girl. Thalia. Nice name. He felt a smile playing on his lips. It suited her.

Thalia chuckled slightly, "Nice to know you care, Lukey. And don't worry. We'll find out soon."

The blue eyed boy rolled his eyes lightheartedly, but smiled back at her.

"By the way-"

Luke was cut off by Thalia turning over to Blondie, who was apparently Annie, and goat boy. "You two do some dancing! You look so stupid just standing there."

The green eyed demi-titan stifled a laugh. She was funny too. His eyes flicked over to the side of the room. The two demigods Thalia, Luke, Annie, and goat boy had come for, were trading some stuff which looked like cards. They were playing a game. He knew what cards were. Playing card games with Hermes were his only source of entertainment on some days.

Thalia turned back to Luke, who was shaking his head. "You're embarrassing them, Thalia. You know Grover can't dance. Now look, he's kicking Annabeth in the shins."

Thalia rolled her eyes at him and said, "Let's just keep dancing. What were you saying earlier?"

The boy turned away. He didn't want to watch teenage mortals flirting all night. A few seconds passed. He was wondering about what Luke had said about the titans. Could it be…He sighed uneasily, and looked around the room.

And then he saw them. The two kids the demigods had come for were being herded away by the man Grover had called The Vice Principal. Apparently, Annabeth had also spotted him, and the boy's eyes narrowed when he saw her push Grover in his direction.

"Hurry! Get Thalia and Luke! I'll go after Thorn."

Grover nodded, eyes wide with fright, and raced towards the other two demigods. The green eyed boy walked forward. His feet made no sounds, and he passed right through the mortals. He went after Annabeth, his heart beating in his chest.

This dream had taken far too long. His dreams normally ended in ten to five minutes. He had several of them each night.

Why hadn't this one ended yet?

Why was he still there? Annabeth disappeared through a small side door. Thorn had taken the kids in that direction.

He broke into a small jog, letting out little huffs of air. He didn't know what was going on. Or who had summoned him to this dream - no, it wasn't just a dream. He was positive this was happening right now - But he was going to get to the bottom of it.

-Line Break-

He could hear Annabeth's footsteps a little ways ahead of him. After walking for a few minutes, he ended up in a large chamber. He scanned the entry hall of the place, alert and on the ready. The green eyed boy spotted a blonde head disappearing through the doorway at the entrance of the chamber. He followed.

Outside, he took in a deep breath. It was chilly, and the ground was covered in white stuff he'd never seen before. But he knew exactly what it was. He sighed. It never snowed on Ogygia.

His head snapped upwards, and he squinted, just in time to see the blonde haired girl chasing after the man and the two demigods, and disappearing into the woods.

His feet moved. Dr. Thorn was a monster. He had to at least try to help Annabeth save the other mortals. He'd never been as heartless as his siblings. Most immortals looked at Prometheus' creation like they were gerbils, which were created just to do their bidding. He had been born during the war with the Olympians. The First Titan War. The war which caused his exile. His mother Gaea had tasked him to help The Titans defeat the Olympians. He had been spawned just for that. He didn't know how Gaea could have had a child without any help from a male, but he didn't question it. He was born with semi-immortality. He didn't have the luxury to live forever. He was closer to the mortals than any of the gods or titans. But then he'd been given Immortality, just to make his punishment eternal and agonizing. Living in solitude forever. He hated it. He would give anything to get off Ogygia.

He snapped out of his thoughts when a loud voice spoke. "Don't talk to my sister like that!' He froze in his steps, and tried to catch his breath. Glancing around, the demi-titan crept forward, cautiously, and into the clearing the monster had stopped at. Annabeth, the grey eyed girl stood next to Thorn, looking like she wanted to bash his head in. She had a small cut on her arm, and it was bleeding. It looked as if the monster had gotten her too. If her could only figure out what Thorn was…

He bit his bottom lip. The two demigods didn't even look like teenagers yet. The girl looked twelve, and the little kid who had spoke, ten. He took in his new surroundings. They were evidently on a cliff. And…his immortal senses kicked in. He felt the sea below them.

Annabeth glared at Thorn. "Let them go!'

His sharp eyes caught a flicker of movement behind the man, and a…tail sprung out behind him. Something sharp shot forward, and sailed so close to the blonde girl that it nicked her ear.

Then he realized what Thorn was.

They were facing a manticore.

"You're lucky you're wanted alive," The manticore spoke darkly. "I would've killed you already if I could."

The younger demigoddess spoke, her voice cracking. "Why are you doing this? Who wants us?"

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Kronos. You work for Kronos."

The green eyed boy took a slight step back. His brother was…alive? The Titans were rallying…that meant…

"Yes, Perseus," The voice broke him out of his thoughts. "We'll be coming to free you soon." He stared up at Thorn, eyes wide.

"Y-you can see me? H-how?"

The manticore laughed in amusement.

"Great, now he's talking to empty air," The black haired girl who'd spoken before Annabeth muttered.

Perseus took another step back. "T-this is real. Kronos brought me here."

Thorn nodded, baring his teeth. "Yes, but it is only temporary. You shall be back in Ogygia in thirty minutes."

"Okay, he's completely nuts," The black haired girl said again.

Perseus frowned in her direction. Annabeth's eyes flickered over to him. He wondered for a brief second if she could see him, and then turned back to the manticore.

Annabeth turned away facing the two demigods, "We have to jump into the sea."

"Now you're completely nuts," The black haired girl took a step away from her. "Can someone tell me what the hell is going-"

A loud yell came from behind Thorn, and Perseus yelped in surprise. Thalia hurled a canister of mace into the air, and it expanded into a large spear with a bronze tip. Her shield sent chills down his spine. He'd never been more frightened in his life. The shield had the head of the gorgon Medusa molded into the bronze, and even though he'd never seen it himself, he knew of it's reputation. Thorn spun, and winced in fear as Thalia leaped forward, grabbing the spear out of the air

Armed with a replica of The Aegis and her spear, the daughter of Zeus charged the manticore, screaming, "For Zeus!" Luke raced by her side, clutching a bronze sword which looked like it could cleave a boulder in half. Grover pulled off a set of reed pipes from around his neck, and joined the other two demigods, Thalia and Luke.

The shadows took forms around them, and hellhounds leaped out, surrounding the small group of half bloods. Perseus stood, frozen, as Luke and Grover attacked the beasts from Erebos. Annabeth shouted over to the other demigods, "Stay behind me!' And then she drew a dagger, and stabbed the nearest monster in the head.

The boy watched transfixed, as Thalia jabbed at Thorn with her spear. He snarled in annoyance, and his hand shot out, pushing the celestial bronze tip away from himself. Claws grew out of his fingers, and he sliced forward at the blue eyed daughter of Zeus.

Thalia's shield arm shot forward, and blocked his paw, but Thorn was fast. His other hand swept up, turning into a paw, and cut through her jacket arm, slicing her skin, and drawing blood. The daughter of Zeus hissed in pain, and pushed Thorn back with her shield.

The manticore launched another volley of missiles at her, and Perseus moved before he could process what he was doing. He skidded to a stop in front of Thalia, and his hands surged forward. Spires of rock shot out of the earth, and Thorn's missiles slammed into them.

Thalia looked up at him, breathing heavily. "Where the hell did you come from?'

"I was thinking you'd go more on the lines of Thank you for saving my life," He snorted, slipping into a battle stance.

"Wh-" She was cut off by a large roar. His attention snapped to Thorn. The vice principal had began to change form. He cursed under his breath as Thorn grew larger, and larger, until her towered over them. He had a huge lion body, dragon wings, and a scorpion tail dotted with spikes. His human face made him look even more disgusting.

"What the Hades is that?!"

Perseus answered Thalia quickly. "He's a manticore. He's such an ancient monster that a lot of people have forgotten about him."

"How are we supposed to beat him?!" Thalia yelled, stabbing at a random hellhound which had dared to come close.

Perseus clenched his fist and another spire of rock shot of the earth, impaling another hellhound which had gotten too close for comfort. He was about to reply to Thalia when Annabeth's voice resonated throughout the clearing, "GET DOWN!"

He cursed again, and leaped forward, pushing Thalia down into the snow just as Thorn's spikes sailed over them.

Perseus rolled off her, leaping to his feet just as Thorn fired another volley of arrows, The daughter of Zeus launched herself forward, shielding both of them under her Aegis. The missiles pounded on the shield, and Thalia muttered a string of unrepeatable curses. He heard Thorn laugh, as a huge bird-like thing appeared above them.

"He brought a helicopter?! Argh!" The blue eyed demigod yelled in frustration and annoyance.

"You cannot win," Thorn laughed. 'Why do you protect her, Perseus? Hand the girl over. Yield, and I might spare you."

Perseus eyes flickered over to Annabeth, defending the younger demigods from the hellhounds, who just kept coming. Luke was lugging an unconscious Grover away from more of the beasts. They couldn't keep on going. Only a miracle could save them now.

"We can take him. Let's go!"

He glanced at Thalia. She was injured. If he left her alone, she would be overrun by the hellhounds. If he charged into battle with her, Thorn would definitely land a shot.

But he had to keep on fighting. He wasn't heartless. He couldn't let demigods he killed, just like this.

"We charge him. You flank his left, I go right," Perseus spoke under his breath. "On three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

And then the call of the hunting horn resounded through the woods.

-Line Break-

Everyone froze. No one moved.

"No," Thorn muttered. 'They can't-"

A whizzing sound filled the air, and something sleek and silver sailed past Perseus. A glowing silver arrow caught Thorn in the shoulder.

The manticore wailed in pain, stumbling back a bit. He unleashed several spikes at once, into the woods, which was where the arrows had come from, but with even greater speed, more silver arrows shot forward. If he hadn't had such good vision, he would have missed it. The silver arrows intercepted the manticore's spikes, cutting through them and cleaving them in half.

Thorn howled as he pulled the arrow out of his shoulder. And then the archers came from the woods. There were about two dozen of them, in silver parkas, and dark jeans. Each and every one of them was armed with a bow. They advanced on Thorn, arrows nocked in their bows, and all of them aiming for his chest.

"It's The Hunters!' Luke shouted.

Thalia cursed again. "This is just great. Why did it have to be the Hunters?"

Perseus understood her. He hadn't met them before but he'd heard about them. Ruthless Female and badass ladies who hated men.

One of the older archers stepped forward. She had bronze skin, and dark hair, with deep volcanic eyes. Her glare made him sure he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep when he got back to Ogygia.

"Permission To Kill, milady?"

He immediately guessed she was the lieutenant.

Thorn wailed, "This isn't fair!" He whined like a three year old. "Direct interference. It's against the ancient laws!"

One of the younger girls stepped forward. Her silver eyes blazed and she looked at Thorn coldly. Her auburn hair was windswept as she spoke. "The hunting of wild beasts is within my domains. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast. Zoe, permission granted."

Thorn lunged forward. "If I cannot take them to my master, I shall kill them all!" He leaped up for Thalia and Perseus, his eyes crazed and angry. He knocked the shield out of Thalia's hand, and Perseus leaped forward to protect her with his own body.

"No!"

It was Annabeth. She charged the monster.

"Get back, daughter of Athena!" Zoe spoke loudly.

Annabeth didn't seem to hear her. She leaped onto Thorn, and drove her knife through his back.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" Luke screamed, scrambling up and running to Thorn and Annabeth.

The hunters released their arrows rapidly. The first nailed Thorn in the chest. The next caught him in the neck. Another in the gut. "I shall have my revenge. You shall all pay!"

Before anyone could move, the manticore, with Annabeth still hanging on his neck, leaped off the cliffside, and into the darkness below.

"Annabeth!" Thalia pushed Perseus off her, and raced towards the cliff edge. She kept running, even as the helicopter began firing at them.

Perseus could faintly hear Artemis voice, and a huge explosion, but he wasn't paying attention. He raced to the edge of the cliff, after Thalia.

She stood next to Luke, at the edge of the cliff, and he could tell she was trembling in rage.

He stopped beside them, and gave her a sideways glance. "I'm sorry."

Thalia clenched her fist, and looked down. "It's all their fault. Those stupid hunters. They mess up everything." She turned to glare at the silver maidens.

Perseus sighed sadly. His eyes flickered to the younger demigods who were next to the unconscious satyr and a few hunters. And then to Luke, who was being held down by more hunters. He looked ready to jump down the cliff after Annabeth.

Suddenly his vision became hazy. The son of Gaea clutched his head as everything around him turned into ash and white. And the world faded into mist.

He sat up, panting, his forehead beaded with sweat. Perseus glanced around nervously. And then he relaxed. He was back in his cave. He was back on Ogygia. He didn't know how to feel. He'd had his first experience in the mortal world after several millennia. He didn't know how to feel about being back.

Thorn had been with The Titans. Kronos had temporarily gotten him off Ogygia. If what The manticore had said was true, then Olympus and the entire world were in trouble.

-Line Break-

Thalia's head snapped up. The boy who had saved her life. He had disappeared.

But…he'd been there a few seconds ago. She peered off the edge of the cliff worriedly.

"Thalia Grace," She turned to find a hunter behind her. Zoe Nightshade gave her a condescending look. "Lady Artemis wants to see you."

She nodded curtly.

"We have to go after her! We have to save Annabeth! Get your hands off me!" Luke was still arguing with the hunters.

Thalia's mind drifted to the green eyed boy as she followed Zoe. He'd saved her life, and although she didn't even know his name, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be seeing him again.

Very soon.


	2. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia has a talk with Artemis, A council meeting is held, and Perseus reflects on his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave some kudos, and some comments! Thank you!

THALIA walked in the snow, deep in thought, her hands shoved inside her jacket pockets. Why the Hades would Artemis want to see her? She didn’t look up, but she knew the Hunters must already be setting up their silver tents. She could feel the heat from a bonfire, although she was several feet away. She glanced up finally, glaring at the Immortal Huntress who walked in front of her. It was all her fault. Whenever Zoe Nightshade appeared, Thalia seemed to lose someone close to her.  
Zoe led her to the last tent, which, like all the others, was huge and silver. Bianca di Angelo, the demigoddess they had come to rescue, was seated next to the auburn haired goddess. Thalia faintly wondered where the girl’s brother was, and tromped into the tent, not waiting for Zoe’s signal to enter. Her electric blue eyes met the yellowish-silver ones of the deity.  
No doubt Artemis remembered how she had turned down her offer to join the hunt two years ago. The moon goddess hadn’t shown any reaction except for disappointed then, and Thalia was positive she might try to convince her to join the hunt again. She would never stop trying to recruit her. Thalia’s gaze shifted, and she took in her surroundings. The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable, although it was snowing outside. Rugs made out of animal skin and silver pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden pot of fire seemed to burn without fuel, and no smoke came out of it either. The heat radiated through the room, and Thalia let out of small inaudible sigh. Behind the silver eyed goddess, on a display stand, stood her famous silver bow, and her quiver full of silver arrows. Behind that, The walls were hung with more animal skins: bears, lions, tigers, along with several other rare mythical monster hides she didn’t recognize.  
Thalia’s eyes widened when her gaze fell on the silver antlered deer the goddess was petting. It’s fur glowed golden, and its hooves were also silver. Thalia guessed it was Artemis’ sacred animal, the Ceryneian Hind.  
She took in a deep breath and spoke. ‘Well?”  
Artemis tilted her head to the side, and Zoe looked like she wanted to smack the daughter of Zeus.  
“You wanted to see me,” Thalia prompted.  
“Have a seat, Thalia Grace,’ Artemis voice held no emotion, and Thalia looked around uneasily, before settling down onto one of the silver cushions next to Bianca. The goddess studied her, scrutinizing her, and making her feel very uncomfortable. She didn’t like being stared at. Thalia cleared her throat subtly, and Artemis spoke again as Zoe took a seat to her right.  
“I have called you here, Thalia, so you may tell me more of your battle with the manticore. Bianca here has already reported some of the unusual things the beast said and did, but she does not understand what he meant. Not like you do. I would have preferred your friend Annabeth narrated it because she was there from the start, but due to the unfortunate circumstances we find ourselves in, she cannot, as she is not present.”  
Thalia nodded curtly, and began to speak, as Artemis had requested. “So, the monster took Bianca and Nico away, and Annabeth went after him-“ Her voice cracked a little as she mentioned her friend who had fallen off the cliff with Thorn, and she took in a deep gulp of air, steadying her breath.  
“They were captured, and Grover came to get us. Luke and I, I mean. We went to help them. I attacked Thorn, while about two dozen monsters seemed to appear out of the shadows. Luke and Grover handled the hellhounds.”  
She paused for effect and continued. “Thorn shot these missile thingies from his tail at me, and, this guy- He appeared out of nowhere, and he manipulated the earth and blocked the attack.”  
Zoe gasped. Thalia took note of Artemis’ alarmed expression.  
“Wait,” Bianca held up a hand. “Which guy? There wasn’t any guy who could control the earth. All I remember was Thorn talking to empty air…”  
She trailed off, and Thalia spoke, cocking a brow in Bianca’s direction “What, you’re saying you couldn’t see him?’  
The tent was silent. Now, Artemis looked worried. “Go on,” the goddess instructed.  
Thalia nodded, her brow creasing in confusion. Empty air? So that meant Bianca didn’t see him. And since neither of them had answered she was going to assume Zoe and Artemis hadn’t seen him too. Weird. Or had her mind been playing tricks on her? Was he a figment of her imagination?  
No. Of course not. Thorn had also seemed to recognize him and see him so at least that counted for something. The manticore had asked him why he was protecting Thalia. He had told him to give her up. But he hadn’t, and he had saved her life instead.  
She thought back to the battle. “Thorn had mentioned his name, but I didn’t quite catch it. I was too busy trying not to get impaled…” Thalia shut her eyes as she tried to recollect exactly what had happened. Her memories were hazy. She remembered him using the earth to block Thorn’s missiles. She remembered him flattening her on the ground as they fought the manticore, she remembered…nothing. Her mind was blank. Grey. Her forehead creased, and Thalia tried to go back to the battle, clenching and unclenching her fist.  
What the hell?  
A few seconds ago she had been about to tell Artemis his name and continue from there. And then her memory had blanked out.  
She didn’t remember his name. Had she heard it or not? Her memory was failing her…  
She couldn’t recollect his face. She didn’t remember anything that had happened a few minutes ago on the cliffside. A sudden gap had appeared in her memory. She just remembered Annabeth falling off the cliff. And the boy disappearing some minutes later.  
Thalia’s eyes snapped open in despair and she met Artemis’ hardened gaze. “I don’t know. I don’t remember his name.”  
She cursed. The daughter of Zeus clenched her fists tighter in frustration, her blue eyes flashing with anger. It was as if someone or something was tampering with her mind. The memory was there. She was sure of it.  
It was just being blocked. Locked up.  
“What does thou mean by that?” Zoe snapped.  
Thalia didn’t even roll her eyes. She needed to remember. He had helped her. He had saved her life. Twice.  
“What you say is very…peculiar,” Artemis said finally. The goddess took in a deep breath. “Where is this boy now?’  
Thalia answered her miserably. “I don’t know. I just remember what happened after Annabeth fell. He disappeared…” she trailed into silence.  
“Unusual,” Artemis decided. “I shall have to visit Olympus after our discussion.” The goddess paused for effect. “I have been too slow. I did not see it sooner. My hunters and I came here seeking a powerful monster, but we found the manticore instead.”  
Bianca nodded subtly. “He said there was some great stirring thingy happening. And that soon they would have the most powerful monster. The one which will bring about the Fall of Olympus.”  
Artemis sighed gravely. “I must hunt down this monster.”  
Zoe nodded. “Yes, my lady. We’ll leave immediately-“  
'No, Zoe. I must do this alone.”  
“But Lady Artemis-“  
Thalia raised an eyebrow as Artemis held up a hand to silence her lieutenant. “This hunt will be too dangerous for even my hunters. You know where I must go, Zoe. You cannot come with me.”  
Zoe nodded, although she was displeased.  
“I shall find this monster,” Artemis promised. “And I shall send it back to Olympus by the winter solstice. I have to show them how much danger we’re in.”  
Thalia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Can I go now?”  
Artemis shook her head. “Before you leave, I have two requests to make of you.”  
Oh no, she knew where this was going.  
“I want you to escort my hunters to Camp Half Blood, Thalia Grace-“  
“What?!” Zoe exploded. “No! You know how much we hate that place, Artemis. The boys and-“  
Artemis shot Zoe a look. “It’s been two years since then. I’m sure Dionysus and the other demigods do not hold a grudge any longer.”  
Zoe turned, muttering inaudible stuff under her breath.  
“Now, let us put that behind us. I have an offer for both of you.” She turned her attention to Bianca and Thalia.  
Thalia groaned. Not again. Of course, that was obviously the real reason Artemis had invited her into the tent.  
Zoe sent her a glare, but The daughter of Zeus stood, shooting the lieutenant an angry look of her own. “I’m not joining your stupid hunt. Not now, not ever. Bianca can choose to accept your invitation. But not me.” Her gaze was so fierce, as if daring anyone to challenge her, and Bianca shrank back in fear.  
And with that, Thalia Grace stormed out of the silver tent, not looking behind her.  
-  
LUKE Castellan looked up as Thalia stalked out of the silver tent and towards him. He immediately knew that something bad must have happened. His feet crunched against the snow as he made his way to his best friend, eyes crinkling in worry.  
He stopped next to her, and spoke, “What’s wrong, Thals?’  
“They wanted me to join their stupid hunt again,” Thalia said bitterly.  
Luke bit his bottom lip. “Oh.”  
His jaw hardened, and his eyes narrowed. He hated the Hunters of Artemis. They had almost stolen his family from him two years ago, and now because of them, Annabeth was gone, and Thalia was probably blaming herself. He had been ready to go after the daughter of Athena, but those stupid hunters had stopped him. He clenched his fists.  
Deep breaths, Luke. Don’t over-react. He shut his eyes, repeating that line over and over again. He had to control his anger. It wouldn’t be good for him if he attacked the hunters.  
Thalia glared at the snow and muttered, “And apparently, I’m going crazy because I’m the only one who saw him.”  
Luke’s eyes flickered open, and he blinked. “Saw him? Who’s him?”  
Thalia rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. “Thorn would have killed me, okay? I was saved by this dude who could control the earth and he disappeared after Annabeth fell.”  
Luke cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “What do you mean? Which dude?”  
Thalia let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t want to talk about it.”  
Luke gave her a small nod. He understood what she was going through, and knew her better than she knew herself. He wasn’t going to be pushy. She needed time. They had just lost their little sister. She would talk to him when she wanted to.  
“Come on,” Luke motioned to the trees a few feet ahead of them. “Let’s go join Grover and Nico.”  
Thalia didn’t reply, but began walking in the direction he had suggested, and so he followed.  
-  
ARTEMIS reappeared in the throne room of Olympus, her size enlarging as she headed to her own silver throne. Her bow appeared in her hands, and she pulled back the bowstring, summoning an arrow, and shooting it into the open sky which was above the non-existent ceiling, and it exploded into silver dust.  
As she eased herself into her seat, there were eleven flashes of light, and The Council of the gods joined her in the Throne room.  
“Daughter,” Zeus thundered. “Why have you called this meeting?”  
Artemis took in a deep breath. If what Thalia Grace had said was true, then it meant she had met with him. And that was very very bad news. But it couldn’t be possible. He couldn’t have escaped from his Island. There was no way. Unless…Unless he had been broken out. By someone outside Ogygia. Someone who knew its location. She had no doubt of his identity. Although Thalia couldn’t recall his name or face, Artemis did not doubt the word of her half sister. There were only two immortals in the mythical world who had control over the earth.  
Gaea herself, and her son, Perseus.  
Artemis looked up, and met her father’s gaze.  
“The manticore attacked the group sent to retrieve the new half bloods from Westover Hall.”  
Zeus leaned forward in his throne. “I hope they came through? How is my daughter?” He didn’t show it, but Artemis knew he cared for his demigod children. Especially Thalia, as she was the prophecy child - After all, his reign might come to an end if she made the wrong decision when she turned sixteen - and his only known Greek demigod daughter. He might be erratic and egoistic at times, and he hated showing affection because he had an image to protect, but Zeus was actually a caring father.  
Artemis was faintly aware of Hera clutching her throne armrest in anger. “She lives,” Artemis informed them. “According to your daughter’s story…”  
She paused for effect, tilting her head to the side. “She was aided by a boy who could manipulate the earth.”  
Aphrodite’s makeup kit fell from her hands. Hephaestus quit tinkering with a piece of random metal. Ares stopped sharpening his spear, and cursed in ancient greek. Even Hermes stopped scrolling on his cell phone, and looked up in surprise. Gasps and confused murmurs erupted around her. Zeus held up a hand for silence, stroking his beard in thought. Artemis could see he was trying hard not to explode. She could see the anger reflecting through his stormy blue eyes. ’What you say is…far-fetched, daughter. Do you have any proof to support your claim? Do you know where he is now?”  
Artemis shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. I could not see him.”  
“What do you mean you couldn’t see him?” Apollo spoke, pulling out his earphones. “Was he invisible or something?”  
Artemis managed a shrug. “I do not know, brother. No one could see him. According to everyone in the camp, there was no boy who could control The Earth. Bianca di Angelo also mentioned the manticore speaking to empty air, and when Thalia had been about to tell his name and give me a description, her memory of the battle on the cliffside suddenly disappeared.”  
Athena rose from her throne. “So what you’re saying, is that Thalia Grace and The Manticore could both see him? And them alone? And her memory is being blocked?”  
Artemis nodded. “That is correct.”  
Athena’s brow creased. For once, she was stumped. “What of my daughter, Annabeth? Surely she could have spotted him right away?”  
Artemis met her sister’s eyes, unease pooling in her silver orbs. Athena would be enraged if she could out that Annabeth Chase had been taken. But she had to tell her.  
The goddess of the hunt took in another gulp of air, and addressed her half-sister. “Your daughter fell of the cliffside,” she said bluntly.  
As she had predicted, Athena’s stormy gray eyes clouded over, and although her tone was sharp, it did not betray any of her emotions. “What do you mean she fell off the cliff?”  
Artemis could feel every eye in the throne room on her. It was very unusual, as she was always quiet and reserved, and never joined in the council’s useless arguments. “I mean exactly what you heard. When my hunters and I arrived, Thorn was driven into a frenzy, and attacked Thalia and him. Your daughter jumped onto the manticore’s neck to protect Thalia, and plunged her dagger into his skin. The beast turned, and run, like the coward he is, off the cliffside, your daughter still hanging off his neck.”  
Athena slumped down in her seat, still blank-faced, and like always, Artemis couldn’t read her sister’s thoughts.  
Zeus cleared his throat, and Artemis’ eyes flickered over to him before she continued. “Thorn also mentioned the great stirring. It’s happening father.”  
Zeus drew in a quick breath, his eyes narrowing. “It is back?”  
Artemis nodded, eyes hard. “I sensed it when we were in Maine. I must hunt it down.”  
The king of The gods sent her a short one back. “I want that monster brought to Olympus before the Winter Solstice, lest titans get ahold of it.”  
“It shall be done, father,” Artemis spoke, silver eyes meeting Zeus’ blue ones.  
“Good,” The sky god motioned to Artemis’ half brother, “Hermes. I want you on Ogygia as soon as possible. Check on Perseus. Make sure he is still on the Island. Apollo, your sister must surely want you to deliver her hunters safely to Camp Half Blood. You shall see to that.”  
Artemis blinked. She hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort to her father. She had in fact been going to ask Apollo after the council meeting. Oh, well.  
Her brother nodded, and Zeus continued, “After this, you shall check up on Leto. I do not want her leaving Delos. Athena you shall find Mnemosyne. I want you to make sure she is still in her library. Aphrodite, you shall go to California. Find Calypso. Ares, you are to check up on Perses’ prison. When you are done, all of you report back to me. I shall contact Hades and ask him to make a check on all the titans in Tartarus.”  
Twelve heads nodded, and Zeus thundered, “This meeting is adjourned.”  
-  
It was very very cold and dark, and it was snowing harder than before. LUKE shivered, glancing behind him, to the military school the di Angelos had used to attend. It was dark and foreboding as it had been when they had first entered, and he faintly wondered if the administration and staff had noticed the demigod’s disappearance. Probably not. The mist was very powerful here, especially with a goddess in a hundred-mile radius. Luke guessed they would even forget the Bianca and Nico existed.  
The hunters had broken up Camp a few minutes ago while Artemis had left for her council meeting, and Luke, Thalia, and Grover stood next to each other on the cliffside.  
A few feet away from her, Bianca was talking with her brother Nico in hushed tones, and Nico looked angry, and hurt. Luke guessed she was breaking it to him. She had joined the hunters. She was already bathed in a silver glow, and she had put on a hunter’s silver parka, with a bow slung behind her, along with a matching silver quiver. Luke understood what Nico must be feeling. He understood the feeling of despair. The feeling of losing someone you loved. He had almost lost Thalia and Annabeth two years ago, and he was a bit miffed that the hunters had taken away a sister from her brother. She had separated two siblings who had been together for as long as they could remember  
“Ugh, why do they have to come with us to Camp?” Thalia’s complaining broke him out of his reverie.  
Grover turned ashen, and said under his breath, “The last time the hunters came to camp…well, that didn’t go so well.” He probably didn’t want to get impaled by several silver arrows. The hunters would do worse if they heard him.  
He wondered how the hell they had shown up. Where they had come from. They had just materialized out of nowhere and although the had saved their lives, Luke was still angry at them for preventing him from going after Annabeth.  
“I still can’t believe Bianca joined them,” Thalia scoffed in disgust, rolling her eyes. “And on top of all that, Zoe’s coming with us.”  
Luke snorted in response. He looked up as the sun broke through the clouds, and dawn came. Luke shielded his eyes when a blinding white light erupted on the cliffside. It grew uncomfortably warm, and he felt his forehead bead with sweat. After a few seconds though, the light died down, and his eyes flickered open. Luke’s bottom lip dropped and his blue orbs widened in surprise, shock and awe. Apollo stood leaning on a bright red Maserati Spyder.  
It was the first time he’d seen the god of the sun, and Luke barely noticed Artemis step out of the car. He was focused on Apollo, who’s golden locks fell down to his shoulder, his bright golden-blue eyes flitting across the cliff and the woods. His smile seemed blinding, and he seemed laid back. Relaxed. The eighteen-year-old looking-god was dressed in a fitting muscle shirt, with jeans, and loafers.  
From beside him, Luke heard Thalia mutter, “Damn, he’s hot.”  
Luke’s brow furrowed in anger suddenly, and he scowled. He’d liked Thalia since forever, and although he hated it, he realized he was jealous. He’d been leaving subtle hints and clues about it ever since she’d escaped being turned into a tree by Zeus two years ago, but she never seemed to notice. Even if she did, she said nothing, and neither did she give any signs, and it was frustrating.  
He turned his attention back to the immortals approaching them, and Apollo spoke, “Hey girls, I heard you needed a ride.” He sent a wink to Zoe Nightshade, who replied with a withering glare.  
Artemis eyes flashed dangerously, and she spoke, her tone low and dangerous. She grabbed hold of Apollo’s right ear, and twisted it, making the god of the sun yelp.  
“What have I told you about flirting with my hunters?”  
“Ow, ow, ow, ow,” Apollo whined. “Let go, Arty.”  
Luke couldn’t help but smirk. He felt a tad bit disappointed when Artemis released her brother.  
“These demigods shall also need to go with you,” Artemis motioned to them.  
Apollo nodded, rubbing his ear. He turned to them, and Luke shrunk back when Apollo met his eyes. The god looked away almost as quickly, and sent a smirk to Thalia.  
“You’re my half-sister, right?” He said. “Pleasure to finally meet you, Thalia Grace. You’ve been starring on Hephaestus TV for two years now. Damn, I remember the time father almost turned you into that tree-“  
Luke noticed the slight dust of red when formed on Thalia’s face.  
“Apollo,” Artemis snapped.  
“Sorry, sorry,” He chuckled.  
“Uh, how the Hades are we all supposed to fit in that,” Luke motioned to the sports car.  
Apollo scratched his head, then sighed in acceptance. “I hate using bus mode.”  
He pulled out some keys from his back pocket, and pressed a button or something on it. A faint golden glow surrounded the Maserati, and it morphed into a big, yellow school bus.  
“Alright, everyone hop on.”  
The hunters began placing their stuff in the bus, and Apollo moved forward, to one of the girls. “Let me help you with those, babe.”  
The girl sneered at him, her hand moving to her silver dagger at her side, and Luke snickered.  
Artemis was by his side immediately. “Apollo,” her voice was low, and dangerous. “I shall murder you.”  
“Fine, fine, I’ll stop,” he rolled his eyes. “Killjoy.”  
Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at Luke, Zoe and Thalia, who were still standing next to each other. Grover had already moved into the car with Nico. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters until I return. I trust you not to make rash decisions and act responsibly.  
Zoe nodded, but it was forced, as if she was still displeased by the fact that Artemis was going alone. "Yes, my lady."  
Artemis slipped onto one knee, pressing a piece of the melting-snow into her hands, and rubbing it with her fingers, like she was looking for a trail. Luke was mildly impressed. “This beast is dangerous. I must find it.”  
Apollo suddenly turned serious. “Good luck, sister.”  
Artemis sent him a nod, before turning, and taking off for the woods. She melted into the snow and shadows.  
The god of the sun spun to them, a grin appearing on his face.  
“So, which one of you wants to drive?”  
-  
PERSEUS sat up when he heard the voice.  
It was daybreak, and he hadn’t been able to catch any sleep at all. He sighed a bit, before standing, and donned his grey cloak over his tunic, after which he made his way out of the cave.  
He headed for the beach, dragging his feet reluctantly. He didn’t want to see anyone at the moment. He was still processing everything which had happened at the cliff. He still didn’t understand it. He still didn’t understand how Kronos had managed to get him off the Island, although it was temporary.  
He had been wondering what Thalia must have been thinking. He had suddenly disappeared, without a word, and maybe - just maybe - she had forgotten about him already. His feet left footsteps in the sand as he walked, lost in his thoughts, and he halted next to his dining table on the beach.  
“Hermes,” he greeted.  
“Nice to see you again, Perseus,” Hermes replied, smiling loftily. “Glad to see you’re still here.”  
Percy’s brow furrowed. Had they somehow discovered his absence? “What do you mean?” He asked, feigning ignorance.  
Hermes waved it off. “It’s nothing. Father just wanted me to check up on the imprisoned titans.”  
“Oh,” Perseus said flatly.  
“Yes, oh,” Hermes cocked his head to the side. ‘Well, since you’re still here, and no harm’s been done, I’ll be leaving now. Still have a ton of work to do. See you later Perseus, and stay out of trouble!”  
He rolled his eyes, smiling lightly as Hermes disappeared in a flash of light. On Ogygia, his only companions were the heroines who fell on his Island, or the immortals who came to visit: Hermes, Hephaestus, Apollo, and surprisingly, the one who cursed him, Aphrodite. Hermes never stayed long, Hephaestus just came by to tell him about stuff happening in the mortal world, Apollo just talked about himself all day long, and Aphrodite was always trying to seduce him.  
Yes, that was what his life had come to.  
Perseus shook his head, and made his way to the forests. The only weapon the gods had allowed him were his bow and a quiver full of arrows, which he used to hunt in the woods of Ogygia. He missed his sword, Riptide, which he had embedded into a stone after the titan’s defeat.  
The gods have craved it. But he’d placed it in the stone, and like Koios, the titan of prophecy had foretold, only the most of worthy of warriors would be able to release the sword, and free Perseus from exile.  
The gods kept the sword under close guard, yes, but from what he could tell, the Titans were coming for him. Which meant they had to get his sword first. Perseus re-entered his cave, grabbed his bow and quiver, and walked out again.  
He needed time to think. He needed to ponder on everything that was happening.  
-  
She bowed before the hole in the pit, and said, “It worked, Lord Kronos. Perseus was there today.”  
“Good,” his voice resonated through the terrain, like a knife scraping a rock. “Why did he protect the daughter of Zeus?”  
The spy bowed her head lower, ‘We still do not know, Lord Kronos. But we shall find out soon. The General has sent out his forces to capture the moon, and then her brother when he arrives in Delos. And we shall find the sword, and release Perseus from his exile.”  
Kronos’ laugh sent shivers down her spine, “Do not fail me this time, girl.”  
“I promise you, Lord Kronos. I won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave some kudos, and some comments! Thank you!


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive at Camp Half Blood. Artemis and Apollo are captured, and Perseus learns who can free him from exile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello. Just to clear some things up, Thalia is fourteen now, in this story, and Luke is sixteen. I know its confusing, but bear with me. All will be explained soon. Also, Thalia was never turned into a tree. The tree was created, yes, but she escaped just in time. Oh, and Annabeth is fourteen too.
> 
> Okay so a friend of mine wanted a double update but I'm sorry, I can't. This chapter took me almost four hours to write and edit and I don't have enough time for another one, lol. Sorry, Chris.
> 
> Credit for the sword in the stone idea goes to @ChrisQuaynor and credit for the other ideas (which I will not reveal now) also go to @ZelotArchon and @dwarvess from wattpad.
> 
> Anyway, here is your update! Vote, leave a comment, a kudos, a follow, a favorite, or a review. It's very appreciated. Also, this story can be found on A03 and too :)
> 
> I present to you, Chapter Two.

The hunters sat very very far away from Apollo. Thalia bit her bottom lip in distaste as she noticed Bianca sitting next to them. At the front of the bus, Apollo stood, chattering away with Nico did Angelo, who seemed to have gotten over his sister's… betrayal.

He was firing questions to the sun god so rapidly Thalia was surprised Apollo was able to answer them all. The son god stopped almost every five seconds to recite a horrible haiku and the sun chariot still hadn't taken off yet.

Thalia's eyes flickered over to the boy, who was asking eagerly, "Can I drive this?"

Apollo chuckled, and ruffled his hair, making Nico squirm. "No can't do, kid. You're too young. Maybe when you hit thirteen or something."

Nico pouted, and Apollo's gaze swept through the entire bus. Before landing on her.

Hell, no. Thalia scooted away from the god of the sun slightly, but Apollo was already making his way to her. "Thalia Grace! You'll be perfect for this. Your dad's the god of the sky."

She shook her head adamantly, but Apollo insisted, "C'mon. How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated for a bit, before speaking, 'Uh…fourteen."

Apollo's brow creased. "Oh. I always thought you were sixteen. Are you sure?"

Thalia gave him curt nod. "Positive."

The sun god sighed, before turning his gaze to the son of Hermes who was sitting by her side. "Do you want to drive, Castellan?"

Luke frowned, before saying uncertainly, "Uh, yeah, sure." Thalia made way for him as he walked past. She didn't know if he could still drive or not, but she was positive he wasn't going to kill them all. She pulled out her iPod from her jeans pocket, and stuck her earbuds into her ears. She knew it was risky for demigods to have cell phones. She, along with Luke and…Annabeth, were the only ones who owned them in Camp Half-Blood. The signals from the devices attracted monsters, but she was sure no monster would try to attack her while she was in the sun chariot. Well, unless they had a death wish, that is.

She watched as Luke eased himself into the driver's seat, flexing his fingers. Green Day blasted in her ears, and she smirked slightly as Luke gripped the steering wheel, uneasiness flickering across his features. It had been two years since he had driven anything. Two years ago, while they were on the run. When they had met Annabeth and Grover.

He'd stolen a car to get them from Connecticut to New York. He'd been fourteen then and she and Annabeth had been twelve. They'd almost gotten pulled over by the police several times. She smiled faintly at the memory, and shut her eyes.

Those were wonderful times.

"BRAKE! BRAKEEEEE!"

Thalia shot up, and gave out a yelp of surprise as Luke floored the brake. Was he trying to kill them or something?! She felt the bile rise up in her throat. She felt like puking.

A scream sounded through the bus as it pitched forward and slammed into The Lake. Thalia wasn't sure if it belonged to her, or Grover. Probably both of them. She heard a whoop of delight from the front of the bus, where Nico di Angelo was shouting, "This is so cool!' His hands were on the steering wheel and at once Thalia understood what was happening.

She glanced back at the Hunters, who were murmuring among themselves. How the Hades could they remain calm in such a situation?

She felt the bus rise out of the water, and let out a gasp of relief, scrambling forward. She was the first out of the golden death trap. Thalia was wet, and she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. The snow crunched under her feet as she moved away from the lake and put more distance between her and the sun.

It was the third winter she had spent at Camp Half-Blood, but the snow always managed to surprise her. Thalia waited a few feet from the lake for Luke and Grover, who came stumbling out of the bus and towards her a few seconds later.

A now grumpy Nico di Angelo walked out next, an angry Bianca behind him. Thalia guessed he had just been scolded by his sister. She turned her attention back to Luke, and asked, "What the hell happened back there?"

The son of Hermes sighed, and answered her. "Nico wanted to drive." He said it so simply, as if it explained everything.

Thalia's gaze flickered to the hunters, who were tromping out of the bus, with a certain immortal god of the sun trying to flirt with them. She glanced back at Camp, taking it all in. She was so glad to be back.

Frost covered the chariot racing track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with the balls of flames they used every year. She got a warm, cozy feeling just looking at them. More lights glowed in the woods, and Thalia let out an inaudible sigh. It felt like home.

She heard Zoe's voice, but it seemed so far away. The hunters were heading to cabin eight, Artemis' cabin. Grover was speaking eagerly with the lieutenant of the hunt. Apparently he wanted to show them to their cabin.

Great, now the goat was sucking up to them too. She scoffed. She noticed Bianca and Nico speaking. The boy was scowling once again, but Bianca didn't seem regretful. After giving Nico a hug (which he did not return), she followed the hunters into the cabins.

"Take care!' Apollo shouted after them.

Thalia rolled her eyes, and the god of the sun turned to her, a laid-back grin on his face. "You too, Thalia. Stay safe. And remember. Prophecies almost always never mean what you think they do."

Her brow furrowed as the god jumped into his bus. What did that mean? What was he talking about? Thalia had to turn away as the sun chariot glowed. When the light died down, a red Maserati was shooting through the sky.

'Well," Luke straightened. "Let's go find Chiron."

They were an odd trio. Three wet demigods. A sulking ten year old. A glaring daughter of Zeus. A limping son of Hermes. A few Campers stopped to stare at them as they walked past, making their way to the huge blue farmhouse which served as the Camp Headquarters. The Big House.

Thalia took in the entire landscape. The camp felt so…empty. The campers were so little, but she guessed it was because it was winter. Only the year-round campers were present. All the others were scattered all over the world.

They got to the big house a few minutes later. Their activities director, Chiron, was seated at a table on the parlor, holding a deck of cards. He was playing against a stout pudgy man in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sandals. Clearly Dionysus didn't know it was winter yet.

Thalia climbed up the stairs first, Luke and Nico di Angelo following after her. Chiron's brown beard was longer, as was his hair, and Thalia guessed he must have made it that way for the winter. He was in a fuzzy brown sweater, and a matching blanket was on his legs, covering his wheelchair completely. He looked up when he heard their footsteps, a grin spreading on his face.

'Thalia! Luke! And…"

"Nico di Angelo," Luke finished for him. "One of the demigods we went for."

Chiron's grin widened. "Ah, so that meant you succeeded. But, where is Annabeth?"

A frown crossed Luke's features, and Thalia looked down, refusing to meet her mentor's eyes.

It was Nico who spoke up. He brushed his dark bangs out of his eyes. "Oh, the blonde girl? She fell off the cliff with the manticore."

Chiron let out a gasp of disbelief. Thalia looked up. The centaur looked like he was having a heart attack. Dionysus looked bored.

"How unfortunate," he drawled. "Another pesky demigod is gone."

Thalia felt anger course through her veins. How dare he? She was about to move forward when a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She glared at Luke, but didn't try to break free. At that moment, she heard a bleat.

Grover trotted in. He had a black eye, and a bruise on his left cheek, but was grinning crazily. "The hunters are safely in their cabin!' He announced.

Chiron's brow furrowed. "I see we have a lot to talk about. Why don't you tell me what happened?'

Luke clenched his fist as Dionysus spoke.

No.

How dare he say no. They had spent the rest of the morning, recounting their quest to the god of wine and Chiron. Nico had gone halfway through with Grover to watch an orientation film Luke had never heard about. They had suggested a quest to retrieve Annabeth but this..stupid arse had said no.

The son of Hermes fixed his glare on Mr. D. "What do you mean no?'

"I mean exactly what you heard," The god said lazily. 'I'm not authorizing a quest to find Annie Bell-"

"It's Annabeth you bastard," Thalia growled out, slamming her hands on the table.

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "I know, I know. But from the events you have just recounted, this Annie girl might already be dead."

Luke clenched his fists harder as Mr. D went on. "I will not risk the lives of any more demigods to find a single dead one. No one is going on a quest."

His vision turned red and he stood, eyes blazing with anger.

"Luke…" Chiron's voice held a tinge of warning, and Luke took in a deep breath. It would not be good for him if he tried to go against the camp director. He already had Ares and Hera as his enemies. He didn't need another. He shut his eyes, counting to five, before they flew open again.

The Hermes cabin counsellor fixed his glare on the god of wine. "Annabeth is not dead. I know her. She wouldn't give in that easily. If the titans have her, she'll try to buy time. They won't kill her. They'll want her alive, because she's close to Thalia."

The table was silent for a while, and Mr. D spoke up. "Well, whatever the case, Annie Bell will have to escape on her own. She shall receive no aid from Camp Half Blood."

This time, Thalia shot up. Her eyes were alight with raw fury. She pointed an accusing finger to Dionysus. "You want us gone. You don't care if we die or live. You're despicable. You disgust me."

Mr. D's eyes flashed purple for a second, but Thalia held his gaze. Luke didn't know why he said it. But next thing he knew he was speaking. "We're going to find her, Mr. D," His jaw clenched. "Whether you help us or not."

He spun, and stalked out of the big house, a livid Thalia behind him.

It was during dinner that Chiron announced the capture the flag game scheduled for the next night. Luke's food was untouched in front of him. His knuckled were pale from his fist being clenched so much.

He was going to find Annabeth. He wasn't going to let her down. He just didn't know how or where to start. And if Mr. D wasn't going to give them the permission to go out of camp…

He sighed. His ears picked up a few details about the game. Hunters versus Campers. Luke heard murmuring coming from the tables around him.

"Luke, are you going to eat that?"

He looked up at Connor, his brother, surprise etched on his face. "Uh no…"

"Great!' Connor swept his cheese burger off his plate, and Luke wondered why he didn't just summon one in his plate. Pushing the thought out of his head, he looked up, and met Thalia's electric blue eyes. They were clouded over, and she was gripping her fork so hard Luke was surprised it hadn't bent already.

He shook his head, hoping she wasn't blaming herself for Annabeth's disappearance. His gaze shifting to the Athena table. They were murmuring softly, all of them looking at the empty seat at the head of the table. Annabeth's seat.

So far, four of her siblings had asked for her whereabouts, and Luke hadn't known what to tell them.

Oh, your sister's been captured by the titans and is probably dead and Mr. D doesn't want to authorize a quest to search for her.

He looked back into his now empty plate, and fiddled with the goblet next to it. They had to find a way to get to Annabeth. But where could she be?

Sighing again, he took a sip.

That night, he went to see Thalia.

Luke snuck through the camp, making sure not to be seen. He knew the cleaning harpies were somewhere around but he he wasn't really worried about being caught.

The door creaked as he pushed it open, and he flinched slightly at the noise. He was sure she wouldn't be asleep. She would be thinking. She would be stressed. He moved past the empty bed, towards the back of the Zeus cabin.

She hated heights but he knew where she would be. Luke climbed the ladder, and made his way to the roof of the cabin. He wasn't disappointed. Thalia sat on the edge of the roof, swinging her legs. She looked up when she heard his footsteps and Luke made his way towards her.

She gave him a small smile as he too a seat next to her. "Hey, Luke."

"Hi, Thalia," He greeted.

She turned her attention away from him, towards her tree on the hill, which was what she had been gazing before he arrived.

"We're going to find her, Thals," he spoke softly. Even as he said those words he had a hard time believing them.

Thalia sighed, and turned to him. "But if I had been more attentive this wouldn't have…," she paused, "What if…what if we don't find her?"

"It's not your fault. And We will," He reached out, and took her hand. "I promise."

"But…"

"Don't think like that," he scolded her softly. Thalia looked surprised for a few seconds, but then recovered quickly. She glanced at their hands, and smiled, nodding.

"Thanks. You're right. We will find a way. Like we always do."

He squeezed her hand reassuringly, and Thalia spoke. "You're going to be the captain for the game tomorrow?"

He hummed slightly, tilting his head to the side. "I suppose so. Unless you want to co-captain?"

She chuckled. "No, I'm good." Thalia stood, pulling her hand away. She smirked at him. "You should go for your beauty sleep, Castellan."

He scoffed. "Does this-" He motioned to himself, "Look like it needs a beauty sleep?'

She laughed, and he grinned, standing. 'I'll leave you now. Good night, Thalia."

She smiled back, standing too. "Good night, Luke. And make sure your ass doesn't get whooped at capture the flag tomorrow."

He laughed. "Don't worry, we're going to crush those hunters."

They both climbed down the ladder, and Luke sent a cheery wave to Thalia as he walked out of the door. "Sleep tight, Thals."

She smiled back. "You too, Castellan."

Perseus brow furrowed in confusion. Where…was he? He glanced around, eyes wide, and realization dawned on him. Another dream. He was asleep.

He recognized this place. The huge bronze gates. The golden grass. The stone slab in the middle of the plain. The gleaming bronze sword sticking out of it. The engravings on the hilt.

It was his sword. Theristís Psychón. θεριστής ψυχών. Soul Reaper. [A/N: Yes, Percy's sword isn't Riptide. At least, not yet. This sword is just here for plot purposes. He'll get Riptide soon enough. This book is going to be filled with so many surprises…]

It had been eons since he had wielded that sword. He missed it. He wanted to feel the grip of the hilt of his sword once again. He wanted to run his finger across the blade. He took a shaky step forward. This was The Plains of Perseus. A sacred grove, which belonged to the Titans - To him. It had been where the last battle between him, Perseus, and the gods had taken place. Where he had almost killed them all…

His sword. Only the most worthy of heroes would be able to pull it out. After the gods had exiled him, and hadn't been able to pull out the sword, they had bound it to Ogygia. If the sword was pulled out by the most worthy hero, the boundaries of Ogygia would collapse. He would be free. It was a pretty stupid decision on Zeus' part. The sky god had thought the sword was unremovable. Many heroes had tried to pull it out. They had failed. Hercules had failed. Theseus failed. It was the most powerful sword in existence and as he had said before, only the most worthy hero could free him.

He had been waiting millennia for his hero. So long. He didn't know if he could wait any longer. Of course, he wasn't going to wage war on the gods like the other titans desired. He just wanted to escape the Island. He just wanted to live a normal life.

He took another step forward, and then froze when the voice reached his ears.

"You…It's you."

He spun slowly, and his eyes widened when he noticed the girl. Thalia. The daughter of Zeus. How had she gotten here? He stood in silence for a few seconds, staring. What in the name of Kronos was she doing in his dream again?

"Well?" She snapped. "Did you suddenly turn deaf? Who the Hades are you?"

He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up a bit. "Perseus."

She frowned in confusion. "Perseus?"

He gave her a sharp nod. Yes, that was his name. Thalia shoved her hands in her pockets. "Can you tell me what's happening?" She questioned. "Do you know where Annabeth is? Why am I the only one who can see you?"

He held up a hand for her to slow down. "One, I don't know what's happening. Two, I also don't know why only you can see me. Three, I have a question of my own."

"What is it?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Are my brethren truly rising once again?"

She seemed stumped, and then her eyes turned as wide as saucers, before she took a step back. "Brethren…you're a titan."

He glanced away, before looking back at her. "Yes."

Her eyes widened. "Perseus. Perseus," she repeated. "I…I've heard about you. From Annabeth. You…you almost killed the gods. But…you're no older than fourteen. You're just a child-"

His eyes darkened. "I am several millennia old, girl. I am not just a child. I am older than most of those pesky gods anyway."

The sneer which accompanied his words made Thalia shrink back, before she steadied her breathing. 'If you're a titan, why did you help me? You're supposed to be trying to kill me. Or turn me to your side. Like all the other titans are. Because I'm the prophecy child."

His glare softened. "I…I don't know. It felt…right." Prophecy child? Which prophecy? He hadn't heard a prophecy since before his exile. And then it dawned on him. He had. Aphrodite had spilled the words of the apparent Great Prophecy to him a few years ago. Almost seventy years before. Or at least, that was what it had seemed like. Time was hard on Ogygia. She'd come to his Island drunk, and had been trying to seduce him, as usual. She had informed him of the going-ons on Olympus. The prophecy, the Oracle's curse, Zeus trying to kill two of Hades' spawn…

Thalia regarded him for a few seconds, before speaking, "You're supposed to be exiled on an Island. How are you here? How were you in Maine?"

"I don't know that either," he shrugged, running a hand through his dark unruly hair in frustration. "It's a wild guess but I think the Titans are trying to get me off Ogygia. I don't know how but every time I fall asleep I'm transported far away from the Island."

"Oh.."

"Yes, oh," He agreed.

Thalia gazed around, seemingly taking in her surroundings. 'Where are we?" She questioned.

He was about to answer when another voice spoke first.

"Uh, Thalia…who are you speaking to?"

He looked up with a start, and the pursed his lips. Another demigod had barged into his dream. The blond kid. Luke Castellan.

Perseus sighed at Luke's words. Of course, he couldn't see him. He must have thought Thalia was crazy. Luke glanced around, and asked another question. "Where are we? Why are you in my dream?"

Perseus scoffed. His dream? He rolled his eyes, and turned his attention to Thalia, who was looking uneasy.

"Perseus," she finally spoke. "I'm speaking to the guy who saved me in Maine. The one none of you could see. His name is Perseus." She pursed her lips, and Luke looked perplexed. "Well, okay. But, where are we?"

She sighed. 'I don't know, Luke. I just appeared here when I fell asleep in my cabin a few minutes ago."

Luke nodded. 'Me too. I just dozed off for a few seconds and then…wait, what's that?"

His gaze had shifted towards the sword. His sword. Perseus cleared his throat, and spoke, "That's mine."

Thalia glanced at him, an amused look on her face. "He can't hear you, Percy."

He and Luke spoke at the same time. "Percy?"

Thalia chuckled. "Yes, you look like a Percy."

He looked at her in confusion. "I do? What's a Percy?"

"This feels so weird," Luke muttered. Perseus tried to guess what it must look like to him. His best friend speaking to empty air.

Thalia laughed again. "A Percy is…well, I don't know."

Perseus was genuinely perplexed. "Percy." The name rolled of his tongue so easily. He liked it.

Luke cleared his throat, and asked again. "What's that?" He pointed to the sword behind them, and took a step forward.

"Luke…"

He didn't seem to hear Thalia. Perseus noticed his blue eyes glaze over as he walked forward. He took another step. Then another. He was getting closer to the sword.

Luke reached out, and Perseus gasped in pain as his hand passed straight through him.

"It's like…its calling to me. It…it wants me to hold it. It wants me to pull it out."

Perseus eyes widened. It was happening. Luke walked straight through him. He was bathed in a golden glow. His eyes were wide. His hands were shaking as he reached out for the sword.

"Luke, don't!" It was Thalia.

Perseus stood, transfixed. He couldn't do anything to stop Luke's progress.

"I need to pull it out…" Luke murmured, his hands still shaking. "It's my…its my destiny."

Perseus heartbeat quickened. Luke's fingers curled around the hilt.

And then the dream faded into dust and mist.

Luke sat up with a gasp. His forehead was beaded with sweat. His eyes were wide, and he realized his hands were still shaking.

It was as if he had been possessed. He hadn't been in control. He hadn't been able to stop himself. Oh gods…what had happened?

Thalia bolted up from bed at the other side of Camp. Luke…something had been happening there. Something extraordinary. Something magnificent. Luke had been about to pull the sword out.

He had looked possessed. She didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. He hadn't listened to her. She took in a shaky breath. She didn't understand what had just happened. But she knew it was bad. Very bad.

Perseus jumped five feet out of his bed.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins. His eyes were crazed and wild.

He knew who was destined to free him from exile.

The goddess Artemis ducked a slash from the claws of an empousa. Ducking low, she stabbed it in the chest, and sidestepped almost immediately, to avoid a club from a cyclops. She morphed into a black panther, and leaped onto the cyclops, tearing its throat out, before moving onto her next monster.

She had been surrounded and attacked during her search in the woods. The monster was near. She could sense it. Her uncle Poseidon's domain was somewhere near too. She slashed a hellhound out of the sky as she morphed back human.

These monsters were organized. They had a leader - who hadn't come out yet. She didn't know if the monsters were brave, or stupid, for trying to attack a goddess. She had walked right into a trap the moment she stepped into these woods.

She shut her eyes, and concentrated.

And then they flew open, glowing silver, A wave of silver energy exploded from her body, turning any monster near her into yellow dust and sulphur.

She took in a deep breath, as the glow died down. Her eyes turned back to normal. She had done it. She needed to leave, before the leader appeared.

She turned. And stopped.

The leader of the monsters was an Olympian.

Apollo parked his Maserati in the green fields of Delos, and walked out, pulling out a pair of shades, and putting them on.

Delos. His birthplace. It had been a while since he had been here. He strolled through the fields, making his way towards the cave where he knew his mother would be.

Apollo stopped at the entrance a few minutes later, and called out, "Mother! I'm home!"

No response.

Weird.

He walked in, more cautious now. Leto would have swooped out to see him immediately she heard his voice.

The cave was dark, and empty. Well, at least that's what he thought at first.

"Hello, Apollo."

He looked up at the direction the voice had come from, shock, and surprise edged on his features. "Uncle Lelantos…"

"The General succeeded, My Lord," The girl dropped into a bow. Behind her, the Olympian spy snorted. A deep rumble came from the pit.

"Good. You have the twins?"

"Yes," she spoke with confidence. "The twin gods Artemis and Apollo are on the Mountain now."

"Has Perseus been released yet?"

As usual, his voice sent chills down her spine. She kept her head down as she spoke. "No, Lord Kronos. But we have managed to find out who can free him."

"Who?" The Olympian spy questioned.

The girl spoke softly, her voice resonated through the entire terrain. "Luke Castellan."

A scoff from the Olympian. "You can't be serious."

"I am," she said with indignation.

The Titan Lord's voice sounded like a knife scraping stone. "Find him. Turn him to our side."

"It shall be done, My Lord."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I'm done. This chapter is really really short, although its 4k+ words. I'm aiming for 10k+ now. Anyway, Like I said, leave a vote, comment, review, follow, favorite, and kudos.
> 
> And again, as a reminder, Thalia's fourteen. It's been two years since she almost got turned into a tree. Luke is sixteen. Annabeth is fourteen too. There is an Olympian spy. The twin archers have been taken. There is a girl, who works for Kronos. Perseus knows now that Luke can pull out his sword and free him from exile. Dionysus refused to launch a quest to find Annabeth.
> 
> Yeah, I think that's about it. Thanks for reading! PM me if you're confused about something!
> 
> And also, from next week, I'll be enlisting the help of a beta reader. So be prepared.


	4. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke has several dreams, Chiron tells Thalia and Luke Percy's story, and Percy sees his sister Mnemosyne speaking with the Olympian Traitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, all. Here is your update! Just so you know, I changed his username. I am no longer Yournormalpjofan, but TripleHomicide
> 
> Also, don't forget to leave a review, comment, vote, kudos, or follow and favorite. Thank you! I think it's too early so unfortunately you won't be getting an explanation as to why only Thalia sees him. #sorrynotsorry
> 
> Anyway, on with the story…

It took LUKE a long time to fall asleep again.

His head was pounding and he was still feeling uneasy. He didn't understand anything which had happened in the dream but he knew he didn't want it to happen again. He had contemplated going to see Thalia, but had quickly put off that option. It was likely she was asleep already. He didn't want to bother her with his problems.

He was afraid. The way he had acted without thinking; the ease with which he had been entranced and controlled. It made his feel scared. He couldn't explain it. The sword had been calling to him. It was like he could hear a voice. In fact, it was still echoing in his ear at the moment and he was worried he was going to go insane. He had had no control. He hadn't been able to stop himself. He had heard Thalia trying to stop him, but he hadn't heeded her. That was a first.

Luke rubbed his eyes, and a yawn escaped from him. The rest of the cabin was fast asleep. The entire camp was quiet.

But one thing was for sure. He and Thalia needed to see Chiron. First thing in the morning.

LUKE clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing, and his lips pursing in frustration. Why did he have to have another gods-forsaken dream? Why couldn't his sleep be god-free? He did not need any new problems on his shoulders right now. He already had enough as it was.

He folded his arms, and glanced around, taking in his surroundings. And then he spotted him.

Apollo was on a dark hillside, which was clouded over with fog. It sort of reminded him of the Underworld, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. He glanced up, his hands dropping to the sides, and stepped back with a start. The entire sky was nonexistent. It was dark, and foggy, and he couldn't see the stars. Luke guessed that they weren't even out in the open - it was probably a sort of cave or something. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, and Luke's eyes widened in shock. He knew where they were.

And then he caught sight of her. His heart stopped beating momentarily as they dragged Artemis forward. She struggled, kicking, and flailing, and trying to escape her captors. The two cyclops held fast, and she finally seemed to realize her struggling was pointless. Luke wondered why she didn't just blast them to pieces. Then he noticed the shakes. They were restricting her power somehow. Artemis went limp in their hold.

Luke gritted his teeth. He wanted to move. He wanted to help her. But he couldn't. He was rooted to the spot. The son of Hermes watched, with a mixture of disappointment, and shame - that he could do nothing but watch - as the goddess of the hunt was taken next to her brother. And that was when Luke realized the severity of the situation. Artemis and Apollo were captured. The twin archers were out of the game. She had left to hunt down an ancient powerful monster, but she had been snatched up by the titans instead. This was bad. He tried to take a step forward, but again, found he couldn't. He was stuck.

When the gust of wind blew in, Luke was startled for the millionth time that day. Or rather, night. A man, well-built, with dark sandy blond hair, and silverish-gold eyes, was carrying a sort of load in his hand. He was the one who had brought in the air. Behind him, huge, and sharp-looking golden wings sprouted, supporting him and making him stay afloat. They had a wingspan of about ten feet, and Luke looked on in awe. There was a quiver slung over his shoulder, and a bow accompanying it.

The man dropped onto the ground gracefully, his feet touching the ground. He promptly released his package, and that was when Luke realized he hadn't been carrying a load, he had been carrying a person. The person hit her head on a rock, and Luke winced. The golden man nudged the unconscious figure with his foot, and her head turned in Luke's direction. He drew in a sharp breath as he took in the features of the comatose daughter of Athena. Annabeth was here too. Luke clenched his fist. He was supposed to be there for her. He was supposed to be her elder brother. He was supposed to protect her. But he had failed. And she was in trouble now.

"Uncle Lelantos…"

The golden-winged man snapped his head in the direction of the voice. It had come from Artemis, still in the hold of the cyclops. She had spotted her brother. The god of the sun was holding up something above his head. It seemed to be a funnel - swirling clouds, and his forehead was beading with sweat. His arms were shaking, and his clothes were tattered and soiled with dust and grime. Immediately, Luke knew what it was. Apollo was holding up the sky. A few hours ago, he had been flirting with hunters and torching New England with Nico. How the hell had he and Artemis been captured so fast? Artemis voice was so faint Luke had to strain to hear.

"Why?'

The man - Uncle Lelantos - spoke, his voice harsh. "Because the titans need recognition, niece. We need justice. This is not personal, in fact, it is far from it. Do not take it to heart. Your mother is remaining neutral in this war, and if it helps, we have managed to free her from Delos. She doesn't know you have been captured, of course." His voice was smooth, and Luke found himself nodding along with what Lelantos said. "Soon, all the titans shall be freed, and Olympus shall fall." He paused, His gaze traveled over to Annabeth as Artemis dropped her head in acceptance. He snapped his fingers, and silver shackles shimmered into existence, wrapping themselves around the fourteen year old. Luke looked away, shutting his eyes.

"How dare you treat a maiden this way!" Artemis roared with renewed energy. She was struggling once more, and her eyes were alight with raw fury. "How dare you capture my brother!"

The titan laughed, and he motioned to Apollo. "He is already weak. He is broken. It will be the end for him soon if he keeps on holding the sky…unless."

Luke understood what he was driving at. He knew Artemis loved her brother, although she didn't show it much. Her jaw was clenched, and she said quietly, 'Fine. I'll do it."

Lelantos gave her a smile. "I knew you would. Leave her."

Immediately she was free from the cyclops' grip, the goddess scrambled forward. Apollo groaned. He was semi-conscious. What Lelantos had said was true. The weight was crushing him. Godly strength could only handle so much. Artemis went behind him, her face set in determination, and she pushed him away from the sky. Immediately her hands shot up, grabbing the white funnel-thing before it could smash both of them. Apollo was out cold now, That much Luke could tell. With a snap of his fingers, Lelantos caused a golden cage to form around the god of the sun.

Artemis glanced at her brother sadly, and her gaze shifted over to Luke. He had a feeling she knew he was there. She seemed to be staring through his soul. Artemis looked away, her eyes hardening as she glared at her Uncle. The titan smiled in victory, before spreading his wings behind him. "Excuse me, niece, But I have to meet the General and our allies now. I hope you have a great stay."

And then he was swooping up into the sky, and disappearing through the clouds.

THALIA did not feel like getting out of bed. She heard the repetitive knocks on the cabin door. Luke's voice was also somewhere in the mixture of slamming and pounding but she just couldn't bring herself to stand.

"Ugh, I know you're awake, Thals," Luke stopped knocking, and Thalia relished the feeling of peace, although it was lasted for just about three seconds. And then he was back at it.

"We need to talk, just open the damn door," She heard a huff from the son of Hermes, and rolled over, groaning in response. Thalia sat up, and rubbed her eyes, trying to drive the sleep away. She hadn't been able to get back to bed until dawn. The dream had kept replaying itself over and over…Oh. That must have been why Luke wanted to have a word. Thalia sighed, and shouted over lazily, "I'm coming. Quit knocking, you're gonna throw my door off the hinges."

The pounding stopped, and Thalia jogged over to the back of the cabin, grabbing a dark material, and then throwing on her jacket, before moving over to the door. Her fingers curled over the doorknob and she pulled it open.

"Ugh, Finally," Luke stood, an unamused expression on his face. He was wearing a sleeveless camp T-Shirt, which showed off all his biceps and it took all her willpower not to move forward to touch them. The shirt went with summer shorts, and a pair of sandals. It was the standard camp attire but he still managed to look good in them. Few people could manage that. In fact, only one person could. That was Drew Tanaka but she was a different story. His scar, which ran down his left eye and stopped at his cheek, made him look rugged, and Thalia felt her heartbeat race. Luke's intense blue eyes studied her, and his voice broke her out of her…ah, observations. "Do you know how long I've been standing here?"

Thalia rolled her eyes, and stretched out, yawning. "No, I don't. You're lucky I didn't gut you for interrupting my beauty sleep."

Luke snorted, and glanced at his wristwatch, "It's already nine am, Thals. You missed breakfast. I don't know why on earth Chiron asked to let you sleep in but Gods of Olympus, we have a lot to talk about."

Thalia sighed, and spoke in her sweetest voice, "I suppose you can't let me go back to bed till noon?'

"No," Luke said calmly but firmly. "We need to discuss that dream. And how we're going to find Annabeth."

Thalia sobered up, her serious expression taking over her features. "Okay. I'll head to the bathhouse. Meet you at the pavilion in twenty?'

Luke nodded. "Twenty."

Thalia watched him as he turned, and walked off for his own cabin, probably to do counselor-y stuff. Sighing again, she dashed back into her cabin, before coming out once more, and heading for the bathhouses.

As usual, she was ten minutes late. LUKE sighed, glancing at his watch again. Where the hell was she?

He looked up when the sound of footsteps reached him, and let out a sigh of relief. Thalia shot him an apologetic smile, before jogging up to his seat at the Hermes table. The pavilion was empty, save for a few stragglers who had also missed breakfast, and Luke stood, offering Thalia a sandwich. She looked at it as if it was made out of sand, and Luke knew what was going on in her head. She had wanted a cheeseburger, most probably. Honestly, she ate that thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and what surprised Luke was that she was still fit. He shook the random thoughts out of his head, before motioning to Thalia and speaking at the same time, 'Let's walk while you eat. Chiron is expecting us."

Thalia gave him a small shake of her head, and said, "I'll pass." She placed the sandwich back on the plate on the table, and began making her way out of the dining pavilion.

Luke stood, rooted in the spot, and she turned, a grin on her face. "You waiting for an invitation or something?" He scoffed, before spurring his feet into action, and followed the daughter of Zeus out.

THALIA scowled, and she clenched her fists as Luke gave her a watered-down version of his dream. And it didn't sound good. Both twin archers captured? Annabeth on The Mountain with them? That wasn't good at all. They had to find Chiron. They needed explanations. The problem with Percy and the sword was still present in her mind…somewhere. But Annabeth's situation was worse.

Luke ended his story with a sentence which sent chills down her spine - and not in a good way. "If we're going to find Annabeth we have to do it soon. Or else we might be too late."

Thalia said nothing. She didn't think she could even part her lips. She was shell-shocked. She was worried. And she was sleep deprived. Those three were never a good combination. She was aware of Luke studying her as they walked, and she tried not to scowl at him. Thalia looked up as the steps came into view. They were at the Big House.

Chiron was waiting for them at the porch. He was seated at the same table from the day before, and Thalia let out a huge sigh of relief when she noticed Dionysus was absent. "Morning, Chiron," Luke greeted their mentor flatly, before taking a seat opposite him. Thalia followed his lead, positioning herself on Luke's left side.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Chiron looked genuinely confused and Thalia couldn't help but feel sad for him. But she couldn't afford to be sad now. She straightened, and spoke, "Well, Luke and I shared a dream last night. And then he had another one…and none of them were about sunshine and rainbows."

Luke nodded grimly, and Chiron sighed, muttering something along the lines of I'm getting too old for this. The centaur nodded to Luke, silently asking him to begin his story. The blond haired counselor took in a deep breath, and spoke, "Well, it'll be better if Thalia went first."

Thalia's brow furrowed, and Luke continued, "Since you're the only one who could see him and all…" He trailed off, and Thalia nodded, before turning to the old centaur. "So, when I told you of what happened on the cliff, I left a convenient point out." Chiron looked perplexed, and Thalia continued, 'Well, I'm sure Mr. D knew I wasn't saying everything so' - she shrugged - "Anyway, during the battle with Dr. Thorn, I was saved by a boy. He looked about my age, with green eyes and black hair.'

"Impossible…" Chiron had straightened, and looked alert. Thalia took that as a bad sign, but went on anyway. "I was the only one who could see him. Well, apart from Dr. Thorn, and after the fight, he disappeared." She paused for effect. "His name was Perseus."

No drumroll sounded. No audience gasps, but Thalia flinched when thunder boomed above them. Her father was listening. Oh.

Chiron let out a gasp of surprise, and spoke. "It can't be. He couldn't have been there. He is still in exile-"

"We know," Luke cut him short. "But that wasn't what we came here for. We had another dream. Both of us were in it. And so was he. I couldn't see him, but Thalia could. And there was some sort of sword in a stone…" Luke trailed off noticing Chiron's face turn as white as a sheet. He shrugged it off, and went on. "The sword called to me. I almost grabbed it. I was about to pull it out. I couldn't control myself." He paused again. "We want to know why."

Chiron had turned to look at him, his eyes wider than saucers now. Then he recovered, his lips thinning into a line, and took in a deep breath. "Well, what you really say is true, then it is time."

"For what?" Thalia leaned forward, face blank.

"To hear the story of Olympus' greatest enemy."

LUKE didn't have time to process the words before Chiron was speaking.

"He was born in the middle of the first Titan war," Chiron began. "He was the last spawn of Gaea, and he inherited all of her power. His brother Kronos used his control over the hands of time and made the war take very very long. Most of the Olympians got spawned during the time it was happening, and soon, there was an entire council. Dionysus was not included, of course. Hestia once used to have his seat on the council. The war was difficult on both sides, because none of the warriors could die. Perseus was a weapon. He was born to destroy the gods. He was bred to kill. He was like a machine. He showed no mercy. He was ruthless, and unmovable. His birth brought the end of the Titan war. Calypso betrayed the titans, and gave the gods the idea to assault Mount Othrys from the next mountain. Olympus."

Chiron paused for breath. Luke's eyes were wide now.

"The titans were defeated by the gods," The centaur said. "Mount Othrys' destruction brought most of them to their knees. A few titans gathered at the Library of Mnemosyne, but The hundred handed ones destroyed it, and only Perseus escaped. The twelve Olympians got cocky. They went to the Titans' stronghold, sure that they had won. But they hadn't. The Last of the Titans was still fighting. He attacked the Olympians before they could get to Othrys. And he almost succeeded." Chiron's eyes were dark at this point and Luke couldn't help but feel uneasy. "The last battle in the First Titan War, was between The Titan of the Earth, and the Twelve Gods of Olympus. He almost decimated them. They could not die, yes, but they gods were gravely injured. He would have thrown them in Tartarus. But he was defeated…by using his own power against him. Poseidon was the earth shaker. He created an earthquake so huge, Perseus wasn't able to control it. Calypso, who was now actively working for the gods, used her magic to help Poseidon. The Olympians were able to subdue him then, when he was weakened."

Luke had heard that story many times. But he still didn't understand what it had to do with the sword.

But Chiron continued his story, face paler than ever. "The place where the last battle occurred was a grove surrounding Mount Othrys. It had golden grass, and a golden gate-"

"With a golden sword in a stone in the middle," Thalia murmured. "So that's where we were last night?'

Chiron gave a nod. "It was named The Plain of Perseus after the Titan of The Earth. It was sacred to the Earth Mother's children. It was sacred to him. When Perseus saw that the battle was lost, he created a slab of stone from the earth. And he stuck the sword - Soul Reaper - in it. He declared that no one, god or mortal, would be able to pull it out. The sword would wait for a mortal demigod. A worthy hero. And only then would the Titans have their revenge."

Luke's feet were cold, and his voice was shaky as he spoke, "So…how does the sword know who shall pull it out?"

Chiron held up a hand for him to wait, and went on with his story. "Perseus was brought before the council. His sentence was given. An Island was created. Ogygia. He was sent into exile, then cursed by Aphrodite to fall in love with any heroine who fell on his Island. There was Hippolyta, then Cyrene, Atalanta, and many many more. But they all left. He was destined to suffer in agony. Alone. On the Island of Ogygia. A few centuries after the fall of Rome, Apollo and Hermes played a small trick on him using Hecate's magic, and confined him to the body of a fourteen year old mortal. He's not able to change his age or appearance anymore. As for the sword, Zeus lusted for it. He tasked most of his children - demigods, mind you - to pull it out. They all tried, and failed. Zeus went to ask Perseus to have it removed, but he refused, and your father in his anger, made a decree that Perseus would never be free from Ogygia until the sword was pulled out. Of course, there was a "and was his" implied, but Perseus refused once again. Therefore, the fate of the Island is bound to the sword. If the sword is removed, The Island is destroyed, and the Titan is free."

Luke was taking in deep and even more shaky breaths now as Chiron continued, "Only a worthy hero would free him from exile, and unfortunately, Luke, I'm afraid that worthy hero…is you."

What he had been expecting to hear. He knew the legend all right. But he8 had never believed it. "How?' His voice was croaky.

His mentor sighed, "The Fates proclaimed it one day. The sword shall beckon the hero. The Hero shall hear the sword."

"Like a Siren's song," Thalia's face was pale, and Chiron nodded. "Yes. The hero will not be able to resist the power of The Sword. He is destined to pull it free. And The Titans shall rise."

Luke shut his eyes, clenching his fist. He felt a soft hand on his, and glanced up, to find Thalia smiling at him sadly. "Look, don't worry about this now. We'll find a way to not get you to the Sword."

He didn't smile back, and pulled his hands away. His head dropped into his hands and the son of Hermes let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Sighing, he looked up, to find Chiron and Thalia staring at him worriedly.

"You must make sure not to mention any of this to anyone, Luke," Chiron said gravely. "If it was found out that you would free the Titans…well, I don't think you'll be allowed to live till the winter solstice."

Luke nodded numbly, and said, "What of the other titans? Was Perseus the only one sent into exile?"

Chiron shook his head. "Mnemosyne remained in her semi-destroyed library. She was neutral in the war, so she was allowed to stay wherever she pleased if she didn't cause any trouble. Perses was taken to a prison. He has been held there or many millennia. He was one of the strongest titans. Right there with Atlas, Hyperion, Perseus, Iapetus and the others. He's the Titan of destruction, and the gods feared he would find a way out if thrown in Tartarus. Calypso was allowed to reside with the gods for a short while, before she left for California. Leto was stuck on Delos for eternity. Those were the only titans left on earth. All the rest were thrown into the pit."

Luke nodded, and pulled himself together, before speaking. "The twin gods have been captured. Annabeth is with them."

Chiron's brow furrowed, and Luke continued, "In my dream, Apollo was holding up the sky."

He heard a gasp from Chiron, but ignored it and went on, "Artemis was dragged to him, and some golden feathered guy who she called Uncle Lelantos flew in," Another gasp, 'He was carrying Annabeth, and he said Apollo was weakened, and was almost gone. Artemis took his place. She held up the sky. Lelantos chained Annabeth, and caged Apollo. Then he left to go meet The General."

Chiron's voice was sharp, as he spoke, "Annabeth and The twin gods are on the Mountain of Despair?"

Luke nodded numbly. "And as Artemis s holding up the sky now, I can only assume that The General is free."

"This is very bad," Chiron murmured. "Do not speak of this to anyone."

Luke and Thalia nodded, and Chiron said, "I must inform the gods."

Luke stood, and felt Thalia do the same next to him. 'We have to order a quest. Not only to find Annabeth, but Artemis and Apollo too."

The ancient centaur sighed, "I'm afraid you are right. I shall be back before Capture The Flag," He paused. "Try to act as though nothing has happened. We will discuss more when I return."

Luke nodded, and motioned to Thalia with his head. They both walked off the parlor, their faces grim. He felt her fingers brush against his, and looked up, to find Thalia, her face set in determination. "Don't worry, 'll find them."

He nodded back, offering her a sad smile, and they headed to the arena.

PERSEUS was having a rotten day. He hadn't been able to get back to sleep after he had jolted awake the night before, and he was suddenly feeling angsty. He wanted to get off the gods forsaken Island. It wasn't like he was going to attack the gods. Although he had declared the Titans would have their revenge when his sword - and him - was free, He had gotten over that millennia ago. He sat at his wooden dining table on the beach, his chin in his hand, his uneaten breakfast still before him. He shut his eyes, and sighed. He couldn't wait to get off. He had already started making a list, of all the stuff he would do when he was free. Perseus picked at his food, his thoughts drifting to Thalia and Luke. He wondered why only the daughter of Zeus could see him, but pushed it out of his mind.

He was still lost in his daydream when there was a flash of light on the beach, and two figures materialized out of nowhere. He looked up, unfazed. After all, he was a Titan. He wouldn't get destroyed if he looked upon the true from of the gods. His eyes widened, however, when he spotted the old centaur trotting over to him, with a messenger god hot on his heels. They stopped at his dining table a few seconds later, and Perseus couldn't help but feel annoyed. "What do you want?"

His voice was harsh, and Hermes flinched, but Chiron simply maintained a blank face. He turned to Hermes, his hooves pawing on the ground, and said, "I shall call for you when I am ready to leave."

The messenger god nodded, pulled out a cell phone from his pocket, and disappeared in a flash of gold. Perseus settled his lazy gaze on the old hero trainer before him, repeating his question, "What do you want? Why have you come to see me?"

The centaur sighed, and began speaking, 'I wanted to speak with you. About a dream you, Thalia Grace, and Luke Castellan shared."

Perseus shot up, suddenly alert, his eyes narrowed. How on earth… Oh. Oh…the stupid demigods had obviously told him about it. He regained his composure and spoke calmly, an eyebrow raised, 'So you know now, right?'

The centaur nodded. "I know that Luke Castellan is destined to free you from the Island and start the second Titan war."

Perseus blinked, and said, "Yes, I really don't mind. I don't mind at all. I'll be glad when I finally get off this place."

"And then you'll attack Olympus, immediately." Chiron's face was guarded, and Perseus shifted a little in his seat. He let out a small fake laugh, and said, "Of course not. I just want to get off this wasteland. I don't have time to kill the gods."

The old centaur studied him for a few seconds, before speaking once again. "Luke had another dream."

Perseus cocked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Othrys is rebuilding itself," His voice was raspy and gravelly. "Artemis and Apollo have been captured. The goddess is holding up the sky and Annabeth Chase is in the Titan's hold."

Perseus stopped moving. The palace was…rebuilding? But what Chiron had said next made him gasp, and he murmured, 'Impossible. The General is free?'

"I believe so," Chiron uttered. "On another note, I wanted to ask you to explain why Thalia keeps on seeing you."

Perseus snorted, and said, "Like I know."

Chiron looked perplexed, and he explained further. "The only thing I can tell you is that each time I fall asleep, I reappear somewhere. And she's always there. And she's always the only one to be able to see me."

Chiron looked disappointed that he couldn't get more information, and sighed. 'Thank you for seeing me, Perseus. I shall leave you now. I must meet the Olympians."

The Titan of the Earth nodded, "Of course." He watched as Hermes reappeared, and grabbed the old teacher by his shoulder. He shot a look at Perseus, who met his gaze. Chiron nodded subtly at him, before disappearing into light with Hermes.

Perseus sighed. It was almost noon. There was nothing else to do. He walked back to his cave, and flopped onto the bed. He really needed some sleep.

The boy glanced around uneasily, wondering where he was. He took in his surroundings with a critical eye, and then it hit him. It was another dream.

He hadn't been able to visit this place for millennia and he felt a wave of nostalgia engulf him. This was where the last resistance had met after Othrys' destruction. But then the hideout had been destroyed too, by the Hundred-Handed Ones. Only he had escaped. After which he had gone to confront the gods before they got to Othrys.

It was the Library of Mnemosyne.

It hadn't changed much, except that it was in the middle of a dense overgrown forest now. And it looked unkempt, and partially destroyed - exactly like he had left it.

Perseus found himself moving before he could process what he was doing. If his dream - or whoever controlled them - had brought him there, then obviously something important was going to happen. He straightened, his eyes wide when he heard the snap of the twig. He turned around slowly, and his hand shot to his belt when he spotted the cloaked figure. He drew a small knife. It couldn't do much damage but it would help him if there was any danger. He slipped into a defensive stance, examine the cloaked and hooded figure who was walking briskly in the direction of the library entrance.

The hooded person was obviously female. Her right hand was sticking out, and holding on to the hood, obscuring her face. She didn't seem to see him, though, because she walked straight past him, and pushed open the library door. He didn't relax. He knew that something was up. And he also knew he had to follow her.

Perseus broke into a jog, trying not to make himself heard. His footsteps were pretty much nonexistent, and he made sure to keep the hooded figure in sight. She disappeared through the doorway, and so did he. His lips were pursed in confusion. Why was she covering her face? He wanted to reach out and pull it down - the hood, of course - but he knew he shouldn't. The woman's feet lifted off the ground, and she sailed over the broken floorboards of the entry hall. His eyes widened. That meant she was either an god, or a Titan. Or just a minor immortal. She might even be Mnemosyne herself. Perseus took in a deep breath. It had been a long time since he had tried this. He concentrated, calling the wind to his aid, and he felt his feet rise off the ground.

He took off after the woman, making sure not to lose her. He didn't make any sound, didn't even yelp when he spotted the rats. Perseus watched as the woman flew through another doorway, and landed on the ground. It was the Library itself. He recognized the room. He swooped through, his gaze falling on the statue of his sister. He half expected it to come to life - which it did. The statue glowed softly, and soon there was a brown haired woman next to the hooded one. She looked about thirty, and her eyes were large and golden. She wore white gossamer robes, and had a pair of glasses nestled on her nose.

"Mnemosyne," The hooded one greeted.

His sister's gaze travelled over to her, and she said, "I've been expecting you. What have you come for?'

The woman laughed, and Perseus frowned in distaste. "Straight to the point, as always."

Mnemosyne looked almost bored, and motioned for the other woman to continue.

"The preparations are almost complete," The hooded one said. "The General has come to ask for you aid. You would be a perfect ally. And a very good surprise. Most of the Olympians believe you to be faded, and if we can play on that, we will surely win the war."

"Is that all?' Mnemosyne studied the hooded figure, who nodded.

"Then I'm sorry, goddess, but I am remaining neutral in this war, like I did before," His sister swooped to the other side of the room, and settled on a desk. So the hooded one was a goddess. Weird. A goddess, working for the Titans. Perseus could sense the tension in the air. He observed quietly, soaking in everything. The titaness of memory looked up, and Perseus could swear she looked him in the eye - And winked.

He rubbed his eyes in confusion, and looked at her again. She was reading something now, and it seemed as if she hadn't ever moved. She looked up, pushing her glasses up her nose, which wrinkled with distaste, making them slip down once again. "You're still here?'

Perseus could sense the anger rolling off the goddess in waves. "Why do you not want to fight?" she snarled. "The twin gods are captured. The Olympians are already weakened. The General is free, and soon, Perseus will be released from exile. The Titans are sure to win!'

Mnemosyne waved randomly, closing her book and sighing. "Look, I'm happy here in my library. I don't care if my siblings are rising. I never really did. As long as I'm not bothered, I'm good. None of the good Titans shall fight for the gods anymore, yes. But none of them shall fight for Kronos either. Zeus is as much - if not worse - of a bad leader as Kronos was. Now if you'll excuse me…"

She didn't get to complete her sentence though. The hooded figure shot forward, and a knife sprung out of her fingers and onto his sister's neck. Perseus was about to step forward, when he paused. She could handle herself.

Mnemosyne's eyes were narrowed as the hooded woman spoke, "Lord Kronos had ordered you to serve him. You owe him your life, and he is your king!'

Her glare made his shudder and Perseus realized it was the first time he had seen Mnemosyne angry. 'You dare threaten me on my own consecrated ground?"

"I-"

A sudden burst of energy threw the hooded figure off the titaness of memory. She sailed through the air, her cloak rippling, and her hood fell, making Perseus' heart stop beating. It couldn't be her. She wouldn't…this particular goddess could never betray Olympus. The goddess slammed a pillar, and Perseus saw Mnemosyne disappear in a burst of golden light with a small Hmph.

So there was a traitor among the Olympians…

"Lord Kronos," The woman dropped into a bow, and said, "Forgive me. I failed in my mission."

She heard a growl come out from the pit and the air was suddenly colder. She shivered, trying to feel scared. Of course, as usual, she failed.

She took in a shaky breath, and said, 'Mnemosyne refused my proposal. And Perseus was there. He saw."

Lord Kronos did not reply. But she knew he was listening. And she knew he wanted to throw her into the abyss for her failure.

"Luke Castellan was also present on Othrys and we are sure he will be coming in a few days. With the prophecy child, Thalia Grace."

This time, the crooked one spoke, his voice a low hum. "Good. I want the girl captured. The son of Hermes cares for her and with her in our possession we can bargain. He pulls out the sword, for her freedom, and that of the other demigod."

The woman had to admit. It was a good plan. Worthy of Athena herself. She bowed, her head dipping low, and said, 'It shall be done, Lord Kronos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, we're done! If you have any questions, please PM me. Thank you! Who do you think the spy is? Who do you think the Olympian traitor is?


	5. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They hold a game of capture the flag. A council meeting occurs, and a prophecy is issued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT A/N: We will be publishing a new work. It's called Perseus: Excidium Troiae and we really hope you'll check it out. It's being written by me (TripleHomicide) and ZelotArchon, another member of -TheImmortalWriters. Tell us what you think!
> 
> Usual A/N: Also, We're so sorry for being gone so long. For confused readers, The First Titan war was prolonged by Kronos so its duration was far longer than it happened in the myths, and during that time, the rest of the twelve Olympians minus Dionysus were spawned. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me and ask! As usual, leave a comment, review, vote, kudos, follow or favorite. Here is your update (and about three more, lol). Enjoy!

THALIA was getting frustrated. It was almost time for capture the flag and Chiron wasn't back yet. She knew he had gone to see the Olympians but she couldn't wait any longer. She was bursting with questions. And Luke's silence wasn't helping.

He had retreated from her after they had left the arena a few hours ago. Thalia knew he needed space. Although he hated his father, he would never put his friends and his home - Camp Half-Blood - in danger. She knew he was still processing it. He was still confused and slightly miffed that The Fates had written that he would free Perseus and start a second Titan war.

She sighed and glanced at her side. She had told Grover about Luke's dream - Artemis and the sky and the titans - because he also had a right to know. He was their closest friend, after all. She had left out her dream and Perseus though. No one needed to know that yet. Grover stood next to her, his gaze on the Hunters of Artemis at the archery range. They had only been there for about a day but they were already acting like they owned the place. Thalia glanced at the lieutenant, who stood motionless, her face etched in a permanent scowl. She didn't look too happy. Something must have happened. She looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but there.

The other hunters didn't notice and went on practising their archery and shooting the Apollo kids when they got too close.

Thalia shifted her weight onto her left foot, and spoke to Grover, tilting her head slightly. "What's up with Zoe today? She looks…agitated."

Grover bleated a bit before answering, "I don't know, I guess it must have something to do with her dream…"

Thalia's hand shot up, signalling to him to wait. "Hold up. Zoe had a dream too?"

The satyr nodded uneasily and Thalia knew that whatever the immortal huntress had dreamt about, it couldn't have been good. Then a sudden question popped up in her head and she narrowed her eyes. "How do you know Zoe had a dream?"

"Uh," Grover glanced down in embarrassment. "I sort of…stayed outside their cabin last night?"

Thalia snorted and shook her head. Typical goat. She pushed the thoughts away and asked, "What was her dream about?'

Grover spoke slowly, fiddling with his reed pipes. "She rushed out of the cabin and went to the Big House at about three am? I followed her and hid in a bush. She started pounding on the door and demanded to see Chiron. She seemed panicked. Almost…afraid."

Thalia shuddered. Anything which could scare a semi-immortal Huntress was something to be wary of. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and said, "And?"

"Argus wouldn't let her in. She was this close to gutting him," He made a sort of gesture with his hands but Thalia wasn't really paying attention.

"Did Chiron come out?" She enquired.

Grover nodded. "He wanted to know what all the ruckus was about. Zoe demanded to be allowed to leave camp and go to Artemis but he refused. He said Lady Artemis had ordered them to stay in Camp until she was back and Zoe said something along the lines of, "How can Artemis get back when Artemis is lost?"

Thalia was shocked into silence. Artemis…lost. So Zoe knew too. She knew Artemis had been kidnapped by The Titans. She knew Artemis was holding up the sky now.

But what could be powerful enough to kidnap two immortal gods? Surely Lelantos couldn't have done it on his own. He was just a Titan. And the gods were far more powerful than the titans. Well, at least that's what all the history books said. Thalia was starting to doubt those camp lessons more and more.

Kronos couldn't have done it. Last time they had seen him - last summer - he had just been a pile of rocks in a sarcophagus on a monster cruise ship. He couldn't have gotten powerful that fast could he?

Grover's voice broke her out of her musings. "It's weird isn't it. Luke and Zoe getting the same dream the same night? Or at least, something similar. Almost as if…"

"Someone is trying to inform both of them about Artemis' capture," Thalia finished for him. Her face was set in grim determination, and she looked serious.

Grover nodded. "Whatever the case, both of those dreams are connected."

Thalia nodded back. "I've got to talk to Zoe."

The satyr sighed, and bleated, before saying, "I'll go get Luke. Capture the flag starts in ten minutes."

Thalia sent him a pained smile, before jogging in the direction of a homicidal man-killing semi-immortal huntress.

LUKE tried to hide his unease as Chiron began going over the rules. How could he even think about capture the flag at such a critical moment?

He was not prepared to battle the hunters. He wasn't feeling so good. He had gotten a headache just thinking about those dreams and his throat was parched. He didn't even want to think about what the Titans must be doing to Annabeth. Shaking his thoughts out of his head, he tightened his grip around the sword, which was - as usual - unbalanced and heavy. He was the best swordsman in Camp Half-Blood, yes, but none of the swords he ever used felt right.

He sighed, before turning his attention to the centaur who had returned a few minutes ago. Chiron's voice resonated through the entire forest.

"Demigods! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. Blue team, Camp Half-Blood, shall take the West woods. The hunters - red team - have the east woods. All magic items are allowed. The flag must be raised high, easy to see and must have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

Many of the campers scrambled forward for weapons on a huge table, but Luke remained in his position. His eyes flickered over to Thalia, who seemed to be arguing with Zoe Nightshade a few feet away, under a huge oak tree. Zoe was gesticulating wildly and sending resentful glances to Chiron like she wanted to chop his head off. The other hunters didn't look too happy to be there either. Something must have happened, because they were huddled together, murmuring. They looked disconcerted, and Luke concluded. It wouldn't take rocket science to know that the hunters have somehow heard about Artemis' capture. Luke's gaze shifted, and he bit his bottom lip, focusing on the campers.

He could see the hunter's flag in the distance, at the other side of the creek and he felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't help but feel that something bad was going to happen. He felt a presence next to him and his eyes flickered over to Thalia for a few seconds, wondering when she had arrived there, before moving away again. He took note of her frustrated expression and knew at once that she had been arguing with Zoe about something important. He decided not to ask - they had a game to win. Their problems couldn't wait, yes, but they also couldn't disappoint the others. Most of the campers were looking forward to fighting the hunters and Luke wasn't going to deny them a victory just because he was having a few issues of his own.

He took in a deep breath, and drawled, "Gather round, guys." The effect was instantaneous, as all the campers moved to form a circle around him and Thalia, who still hadn't said a word. There were thirteen campers and thirteen hunters. Bianca di Angelo was also playing, of course, but she didn't seem too enthused either. Luke's gaze swept over his team. Beckendorf and Silena, Katie Gardner, The Stolls, Nico di Angelo, two Hephaestus campers - Laurel and Jason, an Ares camper named Sherman Yang and finally, two of Silena's siblings, Lacy and Mitchell.

"Where's Clarisse?" Thalia finally spoke, her eyes darting around the entire forest. Luke frowned. Clarisse usually participated in every camp game and she wouldn't want to miss a chance to pulverize the hunters after they had burnt down her cabin a few summers ago.

"She's on a secret mission for Chiron," Sherman intoned, an eyebrow raised. "She hasn't been here since you left for Maine on Monday."

It was Friday. She had been gone for five days? And a secret mission for Chiron? Luke's brow furrowed in confusion, but nodded to Sherman, before speaking.

"I'll take the offence. Stolls, you're defending today. Nico, Lacy, Mitchell, fan out in the trees, make sure the hunters don't cross to our side. Sherman, Beck, you'll go with me. We're the decoy. Make sure to attack as many hunters as you can. Thalia, we'll distract the hunters long enough for you to sneak to their flags and get it. You go with Katie, Laurel, Jason and Silena. Make sure to keep sharp on defence, yeah? Everyone okay?"

Several nods. Luke pursed his lips, and Chiron shouted, "To your positions!"

Luke spun a little, and turned to Thalia, offering her a small smile. "Good luck, Thals."

"You too." She nodded, and Luke turned back to the others. "Blue team, follow me!"

The cheers echoed through the trees and all the campers raced into their positions. Luke charged forward, with Sherman and Beckendorf right behind him. He looked up and spotted their flag. It had been set on Zeus' Fist and he could see his brothers, The Stolls, already at their posts. The horn sounded and the game began.

THALIA was positive they were going to win. She spotted Luke and his team, charging through the centre, their shouts echoing. She was still a bit frustrated from her argument with Zoe but she pushed it out of her head. Her canister of mace had already enlarged into her bronze spear and Aegis was ready. Katie, Laurel and Jason were by her side. She waited for a few seconds. Luke's team had drawn a lot of the hunters to them and they were engaged in a huge chase. They were leading the hunters away from their flag and deeper into the woods. About a dozen of the handmaidens of Artemis were there so that left seven more hunters. They were probably in the trees and Thalia made sure to stay alert. She gritted her teeth and made a small signal with her hand. Her team moved into enemy territory, across the creek, and into the cover of the shadows. She heard shouts and yells and knew that Nico and the others must have also encountered the hunters.

She wasn't really worried. She could give any of those silver huntresses a run for their money. But it was Zoe who would prove to be a challenge. They had to be wary.

They crept through the trees and Thalia's jaw clenched when she heard the rustle. She made another hand gesture and the others slipped into defensive stances. Four hunters emerged from the woods, bows ready. Zoe wasn't with them. That meant…

Thalia hoped the Stolls would be able to defend the flag. Six hunters with Luke, four hunters here. Three more hunters left.

"Thalia, you go!" Silena spoke. "Get the flag, we'll keep them occupied."

Thalia smiled, nodding to the daughter of Aphrodite and sprung forward. She slammed her shield into one of the hunter's torso, sending her sprawling and smashed the butt of her spear into another's head, before taking off through the trees.

She heard the fighting coming from all around her and urged her feet to move faster. She let out laboured breaths, adrenaline pumping in her veins. The wind blew through her hair and hurt her eyes as she ran but she forced herself to move quicker. None of the hunters challenged her. No one stood in her path.

Thalia burst out of the trees, startling the only guard - Bianca di Angelo. She raced forward, her face set in determination and shouted, "Sorry, Bianca!" Thalia ducked low at the last point, her feet kicking out and throwing Bianca off balance. She shot up again and kicked her in the gut, sending the new hunter sprawling in the snow.

Thalia lunged for the flag but suddenly stopped when another hunter jumped out of the trees. She recognized her. Phoebe. The huntress with ginger hair. The daughter of Apollo roared, racing forward for Thalia.

Thalia let her come, scanning her situation. Phoebe was agile and nimble, and if she wanted to win, she would have to lose the shield. It would just slow her down. She tapped the bronze shield in the centre, and it shrunk back into her silver bracelet. Thalia readied her spear and attacked the hunter of Artemis.

LUKE's eyes widened when he spotted Zoe charging over the creek and into their territory. He was holding back three hunters at the same time and he knew that even if he could escape, he wouldn't be able to stop her.

He ducked under a precise but wild slash from a hunting knife and slammed his foot down on the hunter's toes. She yelped and he delivered a solid right hook, before moving on to the others.

He had to admit, it felt great. Destroying the girls who had tried to steal his family from him twice. Pummeling the maidens who had prevented him from saving Annabeth. He was feeling no remorse and he sidestepped another slash but hissed in pain as a silver arrow grazed his calf. Luke dodged another of the projectiles, bringing his sword up in front of him and blocking two silver knives. He pushed the hunters back, swooping down and kicking them off their feet. Or at least, attempting to. The nimble followers of Artemis leaped back, avoiding his kick, and Luke rolled back, just in time to avoid an arrow in his knee.

He jumped up, and body-slammed into one hunter, who let out a small grunt of pain and went falling into the sand. He gritted his teeth as a knife tore through his breastplate and opened a small cut on his chest. Luke darted back again, narrowly avoiding a stab and leaped forward, slamming the hilt of his sword into his attacker's head. She crumpled, groaning and he danced out of the way of several silver arrows. He came up panting next to Beckendorf and said, "They're so good at this. No matter how many times you knock them out, they still find a way of coming back."

The son of Hephaestus grunted in response and Luke blocked another silver arrow with his sword. He spotted Zoe going at it with the Stolls and shook his head. She would subdue them in no time.

"I have to go help Connor and Travis," Luke called. "Think you can handle these guys?"

Beckendorf snorted, "Of course.' Sherman Yang nodded, a crazed smile etched on his face, and attacked another hunter.

Luke grinned and in that moment all his problems disappeared. He raced forward, clearing a path through the hunters and blocking all their silver arrows and knives. None of them tried to follow him through and he went as fast as his feet could carry him. Luke felt someone fall into step next to him and sent a sideways glance to Thalia, who was smiling wildly. "It feels so great attacking the hunters!'

He had to agree. He smiled wider when he noticed the hunters' red flag in her grip. "Zoe has our flag!' Thalia yelled. His head shot up. The lieutenant of Artemis had grabbed the blue banner and was racing for them, at top speed. Thalia pushed forward, faster and Luke raced ahead of her. He was going to stop Zoe.

He jumped over the creek, lunging for her but she swerved away from him and leaped over, at the same time Thalia did. Zoe slammed her shoulder into Thalia and the daughter of Zeus yelled out, hurling the red flag for Luke, before falling into the snow.

His eyes were wide and he jumped forward to grab it. His hand curled around the banner just as Zoe's feet touched the ground on the other side.

"Could it be a tie?" Chiron sounded amazed. "It's a tie!" Cheers and yells of delight resonated through the entire forest and Luke smirked wildly. His eyes met Zoe's, and he sent her a small wink of victory. She looked like she couldn't believe it. Her gaze shifted to the flag in his hand and she glared at him. Luke laughed, before dropping the flag and jumping over the creek again. He jogged over to Thalia and pulled her out of the snow.

"Woah, really? A tie?" She asked uncertainly. Luke nodded and smiled. "It is. That was a sick move you pulled back there."

She chuckled. "Thanks, I try."

They jumped back to the other side of the creek and Luke felt himself rise of the ground. He yelped slightly and looked down. The campers were carrying both him and Thalia. Chiron trotted over to them, with a smile plastered on his face. They fell back onto the ground and Luke couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Especially when the hunters started protesting.

"It's not fair! They cheated!" He recognized the daughter of Apollo, who had a prominent glare on her face.

The other hunters picked up the words and soon there was a full-scale scream fest. Luke didn't mind, though. He enjoyed seeing the hunters aggravated. The son of Hermes' gaze swept over the entire forest.

And then he froze.

Impossible. She couldn't be there. She had never been out of the attic. He turned, to glance at Thalia, who had also seen her. Her face was as pale as the snow on the ground. She was walking towards them, her eyes glowing green, and green smoke billowing around her.

The oracle had come.

THALIA let out a laboured breath and looked up at Chiron, whose eyes were incredibly wide. He had been surprised and in shock so many times since daybreak. So many weird and unusual things were happening and for the millionth time that day, Thalia felt sad for their old mentor.

She shuffled forward, and mist curled from underneath her. The shouts and yells died down. Thalia felt goosebumps spread across her skin and shuddered slightly. The oracle kept coming until she stood in their centre. No one moved. Thalia doubted they were even breathing. The oracle's mouth peeled open and the voice came from all around them.

I am the spirit of Delphi, the voice said. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, the son of Leto, the god of the sun, slayer of the mighty Python. Thalia clamped her hands over her ears and clenched her jaw. The voice sounded like a knife, scraping a rock. She looked up again, to find Zoe walking forward, as if in a trance. The huntress had clenched her fist and her voice was loud and clear.

"How can we save Our Lady? What must I do?"

The Oracle's mouth parted, and green mist poured out. Thalia's eyes widened as images flashed in front of her. Artemis, holding up a sort of funnel, in chains, her clothes in tatters. Apollo, his fists slamming on the bars of a golden cage. Annabeth, unconscious and dead to the world.

The Oracle of Delphi spoke, her voice sending chills down Thalia's spine.

"Five shall go west to the Olympians in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The banes of Olympus show the trail,

Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

The weapon of war shall make a choice,

Where sky and earth meet, his will shall he foist.

The Titan's curse must one withstand,

And one shall perish by a parent's hand."

And then, the mist retreated into her mouth, like a vacuum, sucking up all the green. The oracle toppled forwards and fell in the snow.

PERSEUS didn't feel like sleeping that night. He knew he had to go though. Something extremely big was happening. Something which he needed to see. As the sun set, he was aware of the mist shrouding the Island of Ogygia. He leaned back on the rock and fiddled with the small silver knife.

His thoughts drifted to his dream that afternoon. The goddess had been trying to turn his sister. Mnemosyne never fought in any wars. If she was being asked to join their ranks then it meant Kronos must want every Titan back. He must be seeking all the generations of Titans, even the ones who were believed to have faded. Of course, none of them had. They had just gone into hiding. Perseus bit his lip, sighing and shutting his eyes. He dozed off for a few seconds, knowing he was going to be teleported somewhere else.

His eyes shot open, just as the oracle began speaking.

"Five shall go west to the Olympians in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The Banes of Olympus show the trail,

Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

The weapon of war shall make a choice,

Where sky and earth meet, his will shall he foist.

The Titan's curse must one withstand,

And one shall perish by a parent's hand. "

He shivered and run a hand through his black hair, like he did every time he was confused. His eyes flickered over to the rest of the people in the group surrounding the ancient skeleton lady. He spotted Luke and Thalia. Then the lieutenant of the hunt, Zoe, whose face was pale. He noticed the ten-year-old demigod from the cliffside and his sister, who was dressed in hunter's attire.

Thalia's eyes met his and he sent her a subtle nod in greeting.

"Well," Chiron's voice broke the silence. "Beckendorf, Luke, would you mind carrying the oracle back to the attic?"

Luke hesitated for a few seconds, before nodding and moving forward. He bent, and a huge African American boy, who Perseus guessed was Beckendorf, pulled up beside him. Both of them hauled the skeleton up and began moving in the direction of a huge blue building thing.

The centaur's hooves pawed the ground nervously and he looked around, before announcing. "Council meeting at the Big House in five minutes. The rest of you, get back to your cabins. It's time for bed." There was a bit of murmuring and whispering but none of the campers disobeyed Chiron. Perseus had to shield his eyes as they walked past. Their orange shirts were so bright. Even the hunters of Artemis trudged away. Perseus raised an eyebrow as Chiron patted Thalia's shoulder, before trotting over to Zoe Nightshade. The two began walking to The big blue building, engaged in an intense battle of whispers.

Soon, they were alone.

"Thalia," he greeted.

"Percy," she jogged over to him. His brow furrowed at the name. It still sounded weird. But he ignored it and asked, "What just happened?"

The daughter of Zeus shrugged and piped, "I don't know. I'm just as confused as you are. The oracle just walked out of the attic. That never happens."

He didn't know what an attic was but he decided to indulge her. "And?'

Thalia sighed. "It gave a prophecy. Which you just heard."

He nodded and pursed his lips. "It sounded bad.'

Thalia nodded, exhaling. "Look, you seem like a good guy and all, but you're a Titan. Even so, you can help us. I know you're not evil. You wouldn't have saved me from Thorn if you were. And I'm sure there's a reason why you keep appearing whenever something's happening. So, Come on. Let's go find Luke. Then we have a council meeting to attend."

They met Luke coming down the stairs, his face clouded over, his eyes dark. He didn't even smile when he saw Thalia and Perseus raised an eyebrow at that.

"We have a council meeting in a few minutes," Thalia stopped next to the son of Hermes. "And Percy's here too."

Perseus remained silent and cocked his head to the side, observing the son of Hermes. Luke looked even angrier than he had before. He turned to glare at Thalia. "What's he doing here? He's a Titan, Thalia." He said the word like it was the most despicable insult he could come up with and yes, Perseus was insulted.

He saw the daughter of Zeus clench her fist in anger and she snapped at him. "He still saved me, Luke. And I have no doubt he'd do it again. I trust him."

Luke scoffed, before pushing past them and jumping down the stairs. From next to him, Thalia sighed. She looked up and met Perseus' questioning gaze. "He's not always like this, sorry. I'm going to assume by now that you know Luke is the one destined to free you?" At his nod, she continued. "He still hasn't come to terms with it. He's been pretty…edgy. Don't mind him. Give him some time and I'm sure he'll come around."

Perseus nodded slightly, before offering her a crooked smile. "Thank you, Thalia."

She looked confused. "For what?"

"For trusting me."

The council meeting started a few minutes later. PERSEUS couldn't hide his surprise when Thalia led him to a huge room with a huge table in the middle. He wasn't so sure he should be there. Like she had said before, He was a titan. And like Luke had said, He wasn't supposed to be trusted.

But she trusted him anyway. She didn't mind him being part of the council meeting. He still wasn't sure what to do. Who was he supposed to fight for? The Olympians were cruel, and most of them despised him. But for some weird reason, he didn't like the thought of having to fight against Thalia, the prophecy child. Or Luke, for that matter. He seemed like a nice enough guy. The Titans, on the other hand, were his family. He had been spawned to fight for them. He was loyal to Kronos and him alone. And if they managed to free him, he would be in their debt.

He sighed and followed Thalia to one of the chairs around the huge table. It reminded him of his own dining table back on Ogygia. Perseus didn't bother sitting. There were no free seats anyway and for once, he was glad no one could see him. He had started forming a small hypothesis about his predicament.

Each time he fell asleep and entered the realm of Morpheus, he was teleported somewhere else. He would be in another location in his slumber, but his body was still chained. He was still on Ogygia. He had a small idea of who it was who was messing with him. But that couldn't be correct. That particular god would never go against the Olympians. Or would he?

He was broken out of his musings when Chiron cleared his throat. His eyes shifted to the pudgy god seated at the head of the table, with Chiron next to him. He hadn't been there when this guy took Hestia's place on the council but he knew about him. Dionysus, the most useless god of them all. The god of wine. Apparently he had been born many millennia after the Titan war. He'd also been a demigod before.

Artemis' lieutenant sat at the other end of the table, with the demigod girl from the cliff. Beraca or Bianca or something. Several demigods in bright orange shirts and leather armour from their game surrounded the table.

The huntresses looked agitated. Zoe had a permanent mixture of a scowl and a glare etched on her face. Perseus guessed she wanted to be anywhere but at this meeting. It took him a while but he finally recognized her. She had been just a nymph millennia ago. He concluded she knew Apollo and Artemis had been captured. She probably wanted to journey to Mount Othrys immediately and free her Lady. Perseus held back a small snort. She knew what going to Othrys would do to her. But she was still willing to risk it. He had to hand it to her. She was brave. She was willing to face The General once again to save someone. A goddess, no less.

Zoe broke the silence immediately Thalia took her seat. "There is no time for discussion. Our mistress and her brother need us. The hunters shall leave immediately." Her dedication to the goddess of the moon surprised him.

Chiron sighed in acceptance. "You must leave immediately true, the oracle has issued a quest."

Zoe nodded. "We must find Artemis and Apollo and free them from The Titans."

From beside him, Thalia glared and spoke. "The prophecy said campers and hunters have to work together."

Zoe matched her glare with one of her own. "We do not need thy help. Like I told thee before, we shall rescue Lady Artemis on our own."

Chiron sighed. "The prophecy stated clearly that we have to co-operate."

"Yeah, do you seriously want to go against the oracle?" It was Luke who had spoken. He was still glaring, and although his words were directed at Zoe, his gaze was on Thalia. She didn't seem to notice though. Perseus turned his attention back to Zoe and Chiron. The huntress had a grim expression on her face and looked displeased.

"We must not waste any more time, then," Zoe stated. "We have to leave. The winter solstice is in a week, and Artemis' presence is critical. Without her, the meeting cannot commence. The council cannot make any decision."

Dionysus sighed. "Oh, joy. Another dull council meeting. Can we just leave them to rot so I don't have to go to Olympus?"

The centaur pinched the bridge of his nose. Perseus had never seen him in human form and it looked weird. The case he was in with round spinning things at the bottom was weirder. "No, Mr D, we cannot."

Luke spoke again, his voice a slow drawl. "We have two Olympian gods who need saving. How the Hades were they even subdued in the first place?"

Murmuring broke out across the table, but Luke ignored them, continuing. "We have to go west. Like the prophecy stated. And we also have to find the beast Artemis was hunting. The banes of Olympus or something. We're supposed to follow them - they're going to lead us to Artemis and Apollo."

Luke's eyes met Zoe's and she nodded subtly. Perseus brow creased. He knew they would be heading to Othrys. That meant they would have to pass through The Plains of Perseus. And if Luke got the sword…he would finally be free. He had to make sure Luke went on the quest.

"We also have to decide who's going," Thalia's blue orbs scoured the entire room. "Hunters and Campers. We're supposed to be five, right? So Three campers, two hunters."

Zoe grunted. "As much as I hate to do this, I agree with thee. Three from Camp Half-Blood shall accompany us on our quest." Perseus cocked an eyebrow. He expected her to disagree and insist on taking more hunters than campers. Then it occurred to him that she wouldn't want to lose any hunters. She was being smart. The prophecy had stated that at least two of the questers would die. If there were only two hunters, the chances of them being the ones mentioned would be low. He had to hand it to her. It was a great ploy. And he was sure it would work.

"I shall be taking Phoebe with me," She looked around the table. "She is the hunter's best tracker and healer." Nods came from around the table. Thalia glanced up at him for a few seconds and turned back to Zoe. "I'm also coming." No one challenged her. She turned her attention to the son of Hermes on the other side of the table. "Luke?"

He bit his lip. Perseus took in a deep breath. Luke didn't want to free the Titans. He didn't want to pull the sword out. If he decided not to go on the quest…That would be bad. But he had to go. Not only because he had had the dreams, but also because he had to rescue his friend, the daughter of Athena. And he would also never let Thalia go on a quest alone, Perseus knew that much. After a few seconds of hesitation Luke said, "Fine. I'll go."

Good.

"So that's four of the five," Thalia leaned back in her seat. "Grover? The prophecy said campers, not demigods. And you're a camper so you can tag along. "

The satyr nodded, and replied, 'Sure."

Chiron took in a deep breath. "Now that the questers have been chosen, we have to find a way to interpret the prophecy. You shall be moving west, retracing Artemis' path. You already know where she is being held, and we know she was following the scent of one of the banes of Olympus."

Zoe pursed her lips, meeting Chiron's eyes. "This…bane of Olympus. Does thee have any idea what it may be?"

Chiron shook his head. "I have many theories. And none of them are good. One of them could be Typhon."

Luke shook his head. "No, that's not possible. He's still trapped in Mount St. Helens."

Chiron nodded thoughtfully, before continuing, "It may also be Keto. The mother of all sea monsters. But that is also ruled out because we would know if she was stirring. Poseidon would have informed Olympus."

"Perseus."

Perseus' head snapped over to the owner of the voice. Luke. His eyes were dark and he was scowling. Thalia was glaring at him from the other side of the table. Zoe's eyes had widened. Chiron seemed to be giving Luke a silent warning. The rest of the counsellors chattered confusedly.

"It may be him," Luke continued. "He's the greatest Bane of Olympus. He's obviously one of the banes from the prophecy. He almost destroyed them once."

"Who is this…Perseus dude?' Beckendorf asked. Evidently, not everyone had heard his story. Perseus knew the gods had tried to blot him out of history. Clearly, it hadn't worked because some people still knew about him. He felt anger course through his veins. He wished Luke could see him, and die from the withering stare he was receiving. He turned to Dionysus, who suddenly looked alert, and tried not to let his anger consume him. He clenched and unclenched his fists, taking in deep breaths. But he knew what Luke was saying was true. He was the greatest bane of Olympus.

It was Thalia who came to his rescue. "It's not him, Luke," she hissed. "You and I both know he's still trapped on the Island. How is he supposed to lead us to Mount Othrys if he's thousands if miles away in Greece?"

"But he's here now," Luke challenged. 'You're just defending him because he saved your life!"

Chiron shot out of his wheelie case thingy, his full horse form forming behind him, and Dionysus' can of Diet Coke exploded. Zoe's hands were creeping to her knives. Perseus had never seen the old centaur so angry. "That's enough, Luke!"

The son of Hermes didn't seem satisfied but he leaned back in his seat, turning silent.

"Well, I don't know what just happened here but can we just wrap this up already? You have some serious trouble ahead of you." It was a blond-haired and grey-eyed boy. A son of Athena.

"One shall be lost in the land without rain," A beautiful looking girl with long silky hair recited slowly. Likely Aphrodite's child.

"You all better avoid the desert, then." It was a brown-haired girl with startling forest green eyes. They were a bit like his own and he couldn't hide his unease. Demeter's daughter, he could tell.

The campers nodded their heads in agreement.

"The weapon of war shall make a choice," another random camper said. 'How the hell is a weapon supposed to make a choice?" Perseus sighed as the meaning of the words formed in his head. He understood.

Chiron was still uncomfortable with discussing about him. He gestured for them to move on to the next line, which sounded equally dark and foreboding. "Where sky and earth meet, his will shall he foist." Luke's face darkened, and his voice made everyone shut up. "That's where they're holding Artemis and Apollo. Where the sky meets the earth. We know where we're supposed to go. We know that the sky and the earth meet on Mount Othrys."

None of the campers were dumb. They all knew where the questers were headed. They'd heard the story so many times. They had always been warned to stay away from Mount Tamalpais because that was where the Titan stronghold was. The room was quiet, as everyone let it sink in. This quest was going to be a death trap. They would be walking right into the Titan's hands. But the prophecy had said it. They had to go.

"What about the other part?" A camper popped suddenly.

Luke shook his head, shrugging. Titans of Othrys, these demigods were dumb. Where in Koios beard was a smart child of Athena when you needed one? You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to be able to interpret that simple prophecy.

"The Titan's Curse one must withstand," Another camper said. He was a well-built boy, about fifteen, with Asian features. He had dark blond hair and sky blue eyes. A son of Apollo. 'What does that mean?'

The table was silent. Perseus knew what the Titan's curse was. No doubt Chiron, Zoe, Thalia and Luke did too. The centaur and the lieutenant of the hunt exchanged nervous looks.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," The satyr, Grover, spoke. "What could that mean? Whose parent would kill them?"

Again, silence ruled over the demigods. No one knew what that either line meant. Perseus gazed at Zoe. The same thoughts from before drifted in. She knew the risks of going on the quest. She knew what the General would do to her.

Chiron filled the silence with ominous words. "We will lose some of you. There shall be deaths. That much is certain."

"That's great!' Perseus scoffed silently. Dionysus, the wine dude. Of course he would say that. He frowned in distaste. He just didn't understand how the gods had managed to stay in power for so long with this sort of attitude.

Chiron cleared his throat. "Well, it is decided. Thalia, Luke and Grover shall accompany Phoebe and Zoe on this quest. Good luck, heroes. And may the odds be ever in your favour."

[Hehe, I'm sorry]

PERSEUS and Thalia took a stroll to the beach. He stared blank faced at the water. He had a lot on his mind. First, Luke was being an arse to Thalia. He wasn't even sure why he cared about that. It wasn't his problem. Yet he couldn't help but feel a bit angry on her behalf. Did he think he was the only demigod who had issues of his own? He observed the silent daughter of Zeus beside him. Thalia was scowling, and Perseus could tell that whatever Luke had said about him had gotten to her. She was angry. He guessed that she must be confused by his behaviour. Because, according to her, he was never like that.

"Hey," he addressed her, his voice soft.

She looked up, and he continued, "Look, I get it. He's frustrated. I know how it feels. He didn't mean whatever he said, Thalia. Don't let it affect you."

She rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Thanks. Now please stop being so corny?"

He didn't know what corny meant but he decided not to ask. Perseus looked up when he felt the water touch his feet. His frown deepened. He hated the water. For one, they were ruled by the god who had caused his defeat all those eons ago with Calypso's help. And secondly, his Island was completely surrounded by it. He smirked slightly, remembering his first week on Ogygia. He had spent the majority of that period trying to swim away from the Island, but he always drifted back again. And then he would yell curses at the gods till his throat was raw.

Those were good times. Perseus turned slightly so he was facing Thalia. He had been thinking a lot since the meeting. And he had had several more millennia to think on Ogygia. He knew what he was going to do. He couldn't be sure whether it was the right choice or not. He would have to think it over again. He wasn't going to reveal it now, because he could never be sure who was listening. The titans only wanted him because he was a weapon of war like the prophecy said. Vas Bellicosum. The gods were cruel and like they hated him, he hated them. But Thalia and Luke…the demigods. They had no part in it. They had just been pulled in the war because of who their parents were. They didn't deserve this fate. There was something about the daughter of Zeus. Just like it was at the cliffside, He felt the need to protect her. He couldn't explain it. He didn't understand it himself but he knew he couldn't fight against her even if he tried to. They had only met on a few occasions, the first being in the forest where he had saved her life from the manticore. He was positive she would do the same for him. He knew he could trust her as she trusted him. He knew they were friends. The words were foreign to him. He had never had a friend before.

"What the Hades are you staring at me like that?" Thalia cocked an eyebrow. "You look creepy, Percy."

He blinked. His lips parted, and he was about to speak when he heard the moo. The soft sound seemed to be coming from in front of them and his attention shifted to the water.

"What was that?" He asked slowly. "How in the name of Kronos' butt-cheeks did a cow get into the water?"

He saw Thalia's lips crack into a small smile, and before he could react, she was wading into the water, towards the direction the sound had come from. Perseus walked in after her, his feet pushing against the waves, which seemed to be trying to pull him back to the shore. He finally caught up with Thalia and he piped, "Why are you in the water? Aren't you supposed to be…you know, scared or something?'

She glanced at him briefly, surprise etched on her face. "Why would I be scared of water?'

He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe because your father and the Lord of the waves are rivals?"

She snorted from next to him. "I don't care about their stupid rivalry. It's not as if Zeus has done anything for me except try to turn me into a plant."

He blinked again. He voice was oozing with bitterness and she looked down at the water. "Come on, let's just find that cow. And then I can finally have that burger I couldn't eat for breakfast."

He chuckled. He couldn't tell if she was joking or not. He also didn't know what a burger was and once again, he decided not to ask.

They walked on for a few minutes, and the sound came again from his left. He snapped into attention. He had heard that particular moo before. He just didn't remember where…

Mooooooo!

And then it hit him. His eyes widened comically. It couldn't be. It couldn't be here. He began wading towards his left, not even bothering to check if Thalia was following. If it was on the beach of Camp Half-Blood…

Suddenly he knew what the second bane of Olympus was. The creature which had almost brought the downfall of the gods millennia ago. A few months after he had been born.

His former pet floated up to him from the depths, and he felt Thalia come up next to him. "What the…Is that a cow-eel hybrid?'

He looked away. He wasn't sure what to tell her. He didn't know if he could. At least, not now. He didn't answer and instead took in the beast's features. It had the front half of a calf, with black fur and big, wide brown orbs and a white muzzle. Its back half was long, and slippery, with a few fins sticking out of it.

"It looks cute," Thalia leaned down. "Where did it come from?'

He shrugged. "I don't know. It just appeared here." He turned to glance at Thalia once again, eyes immediately narrowing when he saw her blue eyes had glazed over, It almost seemed as if she was in a trance…

He snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Thalia."

She yelped slightly, startled and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm good."

Perseus turned back to the cow-serpent and sent his thoughts floating over to it. Leave now, I'll find you again. Soon.

He smiled at the sound of the familiar moo and watched as the cow swam back under the surface. Perseus turned to Thalia, tilting his head to the side as the world around him started turning grey and ash.

"The dream is ending now," he spoke. "I'm waking up."

She nodded, and Perseus continued. "You should get some rest. Big day tomorrow." He paused for effect, before saying, "And please. Talk to Luke."

She pursed her lips, before nodding once again. "I will."

He smiled as she began fading in front of him. "I'll see you soon, Thalia. Try not to die before then."

With that, the entire world folded around him, and everything turned black.

The girl walked forward, her heart hammering in her chest. It was finally happening. They were coming. The demigods would finally be walking into her hands. She dropped down in a bow next to the golden sarcophagus. Kronos' remains were almost complete. Soon, the Titan would be fully reformed. And then it would happen.

She would host his essence.

"They have taken the bait, Lord Kronos," she spoke to the golden coffin. "Thalia is coming, and so is Luke. The General has promised to make sure he pulls out the sword. Thalia can be turned to our side with your influence. Especially now we know her fatal flaw."

The voice came from beside her, and she shuddered. It was almost as if he was whispering in her ear. This was why she preferred contacting him through dreams. "Make their quest more challenging. Separate the demigods from the hunters and the satyr."

She bowed. "It shall be done." Her head shot up when she heard the footsteps, and two women walked into the room.

She sent a nod to the first of them, who nodded back. Her gaze shifted to the second of them, who was looking around as if she had just walked into a monster-infested cruise ship - which she had.

"What is she doing here?" She turned to the other woman, rising from her bow, her expression more questioning that angry.

"She shall be a good ally. With her power, I believe she is going to help us immensely. So I convinced her to join the Titans."

The girl pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. It wasn't hard to see she was the one in charge. "You should have informed me before making any decisions, mother."

She turned to the other woman and said bluntly. "I don't trust you, goddess. But what has been done, has been done. But if you cross me…"

The newer Olympian goddess spy scoffed.

The voice appeared once again, but this time, she didn't flinch. "Set sail for the west coast. The General and Lelantos shall meet you there."

The three figures in the room nodded, but no one moved, and the girl snapped at the two goddesses. "You heard him. What're you waiting for? An invitation?"

Their newest ally frowned but did not speak. Sticking her nose in the air, she swooshed out of the room.

"Oh," The girl stopped the other woman before she could leave. "Inform Morpheus that I wish to use his services once again - to meet our second spy at Camp Half-Blood.'

The goddess nodded and sent the girl a small smile. "You have made me proud. It shall be done."

After the goddesses had left, the girl exhaled. Everything was going to end soon.

The Titans were going to rise again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, a lot of you peeps were saying the Olympian spy was Hestia. I don't know why though, lmao. There's no solid reason for her to betray Olympus. It just doesn't make sense. She's the goddess of peace and the hearth. Sorry, but Hestia is not the spy. Also, another Olympian goddess has turned. Who do you think this one is? Why are they both goddesses? And as usual, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Leave behind your thoughts in comments or reviews.
> 
> And don't forget to vote, favorite, follow, or leave a kudos [You get a cookie if you do so and an update by Saturday :)].


	6. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia gets offers from Kronos, Luke and Thalia make up, and the questers set off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ooh, Update! You can thank me later, folks. Don’t forget to vote, comment, review, or leave a kudos. Anyway, it may seem like that but we are not rushing Percy and Thalia’s relationship. There is a reason for their…uh, connection, which will be explained later on in the story. Like I said before, there are two Olympian spies now, and the Princess Andromeda is setting sail for The West Coast. As usual, if you have any question, feel free to ask! Excidium Troaie will be out soon :)

LUKE was the first - well, second - camper to rise that day and it wasn’t even dawn yet. It was a creaking sound which had made him stir in his sleep - the sound of someone upsetting one of the old cabin floorboards. Luke’s eyes narrowed into slits when he spotted the shadow, creeping out of the Hermes cabin. His first instinct was to call out. But that would be stupid. He couldn’t tell who it was so it would be better to remain silent. He jumped off the bed, making sure to be as silent as possible.

He followed in the shadow’s footsteps, hopping over campers in sleeping bags and in bunks and Luke scrunched up his nose. The cabin was crowded. Too crowded. For a second, he felt a twang of anger. For all the unclaimed campers who had to cramped into this moderately medium-sized cabin, just because his father was the god of travellers. He quickly shook his head, clearing them of those thoughts. He was on the alert now and he walked on cautiously. 

The figure walked out the door and Luke took in a deep breath, before slinking out after him.

He spotted the new camper a few seconds later. It was Nico di Angelo. Luke was confused. It wasn’t even dawn yet. What was he doing out? Again, he wanted to call out but he stopped himself. It would be better to see what the kid was up to first. Nico made his way through the twelve cabins, in a small crouch, making sure not to be seen. He followed. 

Luke came to a stop next to the Zeus cabin. Biting his bottom lip, he looked away. He was feeling a bit guilty and angry with himself for exploding on Thalia the day - well, night - before. He knew he had to apologize. He’d had a lot of time to think that night and although he still didn’t like Perseus and the idea of freeing him and giving the titans power, he had to accept it.

Chiron himself had told him. It would happen one day. It was inevitable. And going on this quest…he wasn’t even sure why he had even agreed. He guessed it was because he didn’t want to lose Thalia too. Sure, he had been a bit of a prat to her the night before. But he had already lost Annabeth and he wasn’t prepared to lose the other member of his family once again. The quest would be difficult. It would be like strolling straight into the hands of Kronos and offering themselves to him. The sword would be right there…and he would pull it out. Then Perseus would be free and later, so would Kronos. 

He sighed. He had to work up the courage to speak to Thalia and apologize. He knew she was probably still mad at him. For a daughter of Zeus whose fatal flaw was overconfidence and lust for power, she could really hold a grudge. He had learned that the hard way. Luke had called her out in front of the cabin counsellors, Chiron, Dionysus and Zoe. He had made it seem as if she was shielding the greatest enemy of Olympus - which technically speaking, she was. Thalia was probably pissed.

He hated it when he quarrelled with her. It just felt…wrong. He was also always the one who went to apologize first because Thalia would never say sorry unless he did. And he was okay with that. As long as they were on good terms again. The son of Hermes looked up, just in time to see Nico disappearing into the dining pavilion.

He snorted. Had he seriously woke up just to get an early-morning snack? Although that was how it seemed, Luke knew that it couldn’t possibly be true. Nico didn’t look like the type who woke up in at three am to grab a bag of chips. He exhaled and took off on a jog. Time to bust a ten-year-old.

THALIA was not liking what she was seeing.

She clutched on to the sheets as if her life depended on it. Tossing and turning in bed, her grip on the blankets tightened and she clenched her jaw in her sleep. She faintly heard the sound of footsteps, right outside the door but she assumed it was part of her dream. 

Thalia had gone to bed early the night before. Which was saying something because she rarely slept before midnight. Yes, she occasionally joked about beauty sleeps. But she couldn’t get a beauty sleep even if she tried. For one, her slumber had been tormented by nightmares, dreams, offers…visits. The same visits, every gods-damn day for two years in a row. 

That was when it had all started. Two years ago, She had taken her last stand on Half-Blood hill. She had almost been killed. Luke and Annabeth had gotten away with Grover and as she was dying, her father had shot down a bolt of lightning. She had thought he was going to kill her before the furies and cyclops did. 

He had come back for her. Luke had saved her from being turned into a tree and had helped her get to the borders of Camp Half-Blood, fighting off the cyclops and hellhounds on his own. He even killed Tisiphone and Megaera, two of the three furies who had been leading the monsters. It was after she had been treated that she finally went back to the hill. The hill which was named after them…the hill where every demigod either died or lived and made it into Camp. Half-Blood Hill. 

It had gotten that name two years ago, immediately after they had stumbled into camp. She didn’t know why they started calling it that. Not that she cared. She was just curious. And she also didn’t know how to feel about the tree they had named in her honour. 

The tree which she had almost been turned into. The tree which Zeus had intended to house her dying soul so she was made immortal, although gone.

Somehow, when the lightning struck the ground, it formed into the tall pine tree, and it created an invisible barrie around the entire valley, effectively Keeping the monsters out, and keeping the children of the gods protected. 

Two weeks. She started getting the dreams two weeks after she had settled into Camp Half-Blood. There was some big prophecy, which had something to do with her. She still hadn’t heard it yet, now, two years later, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Then there was the pact made between the Big Three. The oath to never have any demigod children.

Well, that didn’t work out. Because here she was. All in all, she had been a mistake. She wasn’t supposed to be spawned. She had been given birth to with a target on her back. Everyone was after her. Most of the gods and Titans wanted her dead because she was dangerous. But none of them wanted to experience the wrath of her father, so she was safe for the time being. At least, that was what she had thought. The Queen of The Heavens, High Queen Cow Patty, the Oh-So great goddess Hera, had tried to kill her on several occasions during her time on the run with Luke and Annabeth, and even after they had entered Camp Half-Blood. It had gotten worse when the Titans had found out about her, and some anonymous demigod had stolen her father’s lightning bolt. 

That was two years ago. Approximately two weeks after she had settled into camp. Exactly two days after the dreams had started. Two days after Luke had gotten his scar.

It had been her job to retrieve the master bolt, along with the helm of darkness. She succeeded (of course), with her three closest friends by her side. In the end, she, Annabeth, Grover and Luke had found out Ares had been manipulated by Kronos into keeping the bolt for the Half-Blood who had stolen it and framing Hades. Luke had battled the god of war - and won - with a little subtle help from Thalia and the others. They still hadn’t discovered which demigod had stolen the bolt but as long as Zeus had his weapon, he was happy. There had been a council meeting, where the gods had graciously decided not to kill her.

And then, a summer later, her tree was poisoned. The dreams had stopped then, and although she didn’t want to, Thalia had found herself relaxing. Clarisse La Rue, the daughter of Ares, Camp’s most skilled and experienced warrior after Luke, Annabeth and Thalia, had been sent to secure the golden fleece, and Grover had been captured by Polyphemus the cyclops. Thalia, Luke and Annabeth had set out to find Grover and help Clarisse. They had ended up on a monster cruise ship but they still hadn’t met with Kronos’ secret spy, who had almost made her pine tree die. In the end, they had busted out a pegasus who started hanging around Luke and they had been rescued by a helpful cyclops named Tyson who happened to be in the area. 

It had been considerably hard getting comfortable around the baby cyclops. But he was good and he didn’t harm them. They’d warmed up to him real quick. Well, all of them except Annabeth. But Thalia understood. After all, it had been cyclops and hellhounds (led by the three demon grandmothers and math teacher) who had tried to kill them on Half-Blood Hill. In the end, she had helped Clarisse, they healed her tree and they returned to Camp Half-Blood with Tyson going back to the palace of Poseidon.

Almost for a whole three months there had been no messages. Winter came. And then the dreams came once again. Two days before they got the distress call from Grover. Two days before they had left for Maine and she had met Percy. 

Thalia’s eyes were still shut, and she couldn’t tell if she was awake or asleep but whatever the case, she was still dreaming.

He was still there. The Titan Lord was still coming to her. As he had been doing for two years. It was getting annoying. She hated the dreams and offers. She hated Kronos. But no matter how hard she tried, she could never stop the dreams from coming or end them prematurely, until Kronos was done.

Thalia scowled. This was where she had been since she had drifted off to the land of dreams in the cabin. She had expected to see Perseus and speak more with him, but instead she had ended up in The Underworld once again. In front of the yawning, wide hole, which threatened to suck her in. The expanse of darkness which had almost pulled her to Tartarus two years before. It was huge; like the maw of a wild giant beast. The jagged rocks on the edge almost looked like teeth… Even if she tried to peer down, all she could see was black, red, black and more black.

The earth had been disturbed recently, she could tell. There were about three different footprints on the ground around her and she studied each of them carefully. Kronos was around her. She could nearly 'feel' him. His oppressive presence and the cold, frigid air seemed chilly…almost evil. She was shivering although she was sure it shouldn’t have been possible. It was just a dream, after all. But it felt too real to be one. She heard a faint humming sound, and she could make out the din of something - someone - inhaling and exhaling. 

It was coming from all around her.

Finally, miffed and just plain annoyed that she was there, Thalia snapped angrily at the air around her. “What, are we just going to stand here all night with you breathing like an elephant in labour or are you going to start talking?”

Already, The Titan Lord was straying from routine. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to greet her in this dark, deep, knife-scraping-rock sort of voice, and then begin talking, trying to fill her mind with doubt and uncertainty (She wasn’t going to lie. It had almost worked before. She had almost joined Kronos after retrieving her father’s lightning bolt. But she had managed to fight him), after which she would cuss him out so bad, then he would laugh, and keep on saying, “Soon, girl, soon.” She would swear some more in Greek and snap at him to let her go back to her life without annoying grandpa titans, and the dream would end, and she’d wake up in bed.

That was all that it ever was. Simply routine. And this time, she was getting a bit confused, dubious, and suspicious. She wondered what Kronos had up his metaphorical sleeve and patiently held her waist, tapping her foot in wait. 

She heard the chuckle come from all around her and Thalia’s composure broke for a few seconds, her hands dropping to her sides. She glanced around and shouted. “What the Hades do you want with me?”

And then she heard his voice. The one thing she had been hearing every night for two years. She felt a hot breath on her neck and she spun, eyes wide. It felt as if he was right next to her, whispering in her ear. “Bow to me.”

Thalia snorted, “You wish.”

The Titan Lord laughed once again and Thalia poked her inner cheek with her tongue, trying not to show her fear. She narrowed her eyes at the pit, knowing that the voice was coming from inside of it and that Kronos was somehow playing around with her. The King of Titans spoke once again, his voice low and deep and gravelly. “You shall be coming to Othrys. And Perseus shall be coming with you.”

Thalia clenched her fists. She wasn’t sure what to think anymore. She couldn’t understand how Kronos knew about Perseus and suddenly it occurred to her that he was probably behind it all. “You…you sent him to Westover Hall.” Her voice was soft and low and she couldn’t hide her disbelief.

She could feel the titan smiling. “Yes, I did. No matter what you believe, He shall serve his purpose. It is his destiny and he cannot escape it. No matter what you think about him, you will fall by his hands one day.”

Thalia bit back a retort and said, “That’s not true. He wouldn’t.”

Another laugh. “Maybe you have forgotten, daughter of Zeus. He is a Titan. He is the last son of Gaea. He was born to overthrow the gods of Olympus.”

Thalia clenched and unclenched her fists as Kronos went on. “You trust too easily, Thalia Grace-“ she growled slightly at the use of her last name but Kronos ignored her and went on. “Luke Castellan is destined to free Perseus. Perseus is destined to overthrow the Olympian gods. You are destined to make a choice to end or preserve their rule. It is Destiny. None can escape The Dissonant Notes of Fate. None can go against them. Unless…you join me. We can make the world a better place. We can rid the universe of the filthy Olympians. You can get your revenge on your father. For not being there. For taking away your brother. For making Beryl into the way she became.”

“No.” Her voice cracked.

Thalia took in a deep breath. She tried to speak again but she couldn’t. She was bathing in doubt. She was confused. Kronos continued speaking. “You really think the Olympians will allow you to live after you have served your purpose?”

Thalia looked down, the uncertainty consuming her. He was right. She was just a tool. They would just use her to save themselves and then discard her immediately after. She was a mistake. Kronos seemed to read her mind because suddenly he was chuckling. “Yes, yes.”

She took in a deep breath, trying not to fall into the trap the king of Titans was slowly laying out for her. Perseus had changed. She knew. He had saved her life. She trusted him. But what if Kronos was right? What if she was a bit too gullible? Thalia bit her lip in frustration as Luke’s words resurfaced.

He’s a Titan, Thalia. He cannot be trusted. 

Was she wrong to have put that much faith in him? Thalia remained silent for a few more seconds and finally, she looked up, trying not to make her voice waver. “The gods might not want me to live but at least they’re better than the Titans ever were. And they’re better than the Titans ever will be. You say they will discard me once I have served my usefulness. I know for a fact you would do the same.”

Kronos’ spoke and Thalia could tell he had gotten serious. “Join me, daughter of Zeus. You can change the world. You can have all the power you want. You and I shall rule together, side by side.”

Thalia hesitated at the mention of power and then scoffed. “I’m not stupid, Kronos. You really think I would believe you would share your power with anyone?’

Kronos continued. “You are right, I would not. But you would rule entire kingdoms with me. You would be my second in command. Don’t you want to save her? That little daughter of Athena I have in my clutches?”

Thalia’s eyebrows knitted in anger when she realized her was referring to Annabeth. “Leave her out of this, you bastard. If you dare hurt her…”

“Think about it,” The Titan prompted. “Remember what I have said. Give me your answer before you reach Othrys.”

Thalia snarled. “I won’t-“

He burst into laughter, cutting her short and all around her the world started turning grey and ash. The entire terrain started folding upon itself and she was still glowering with anger when the dream started to fade away.

Thalia sat up with a start, panting, her forehead beaded with sweat. Kronos’ words lingered in her mind. 

None can escape The Dissonant Notes of Fate.

That might be so, she thought, But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying. 

LUKE scrambled behind one of the pillars, waiting and watching with bated breath. Nico di Angelo’s footsteps were almost non-existent and Luke could hear voices from inside the pavilion. Poking his head out slightly, he observed Nico, who was in a position similar to his and was spying on three girls in silver parkas. Luke cocked an eyebrow, trying not to snort. Maybe Grover had rubbed off Nico and now he also wanted to be as close to the hunters as he could.

Shaking his head, Luke grinned slightly and waited, listening. His eyes picked up Zoe, Phoebe and Bianca in the half-light and they were so deep in conversation they hadn’t seen Nico yet. His eyes narrowed when he heard what they were speaking about.

“The son of Hermes said he was at the council meeting,” Zoe spoke, voice low. 

Phoebe, the ginger-haired daughter of Apollo replied to Zoe, her voice also a whisper. “But he couldn’t be. He’s still stuck on the Island.”

Zoe shook her head, her shoulders moving up in what might have been a shrug, and Bianca stated, “So Perseus was the invisible guy only Thalia could see when we were on the cliffside?’

“Do not say his name,” Phoebe hissed. “Names have power, Bianca.”

Zoe nodded, her face grim. “And he was here again last night, although I cannot figure out how he could get into camp or why we cannot see him.” The huntresses looked distraught, and Luke bit his lip to stop himself from speaking up. 

“The boy was right, though,” Phoebe said, glancing around her. “He is one of the banes of Olympus. Along with that other beast.”

Zoe sighed, rubbing her temples and Bianca spoke again. “You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream.”

Zoe shook her head. “I have a feeling they already know.”

The three huntresses fell into silence before it was broken by Phoebe’s words. ‘What are we to do? If he is indeed here…” She trailed off, brushing her ginger hair of out her eyes. 

“We must watch,” Zoe said, her voice strained. “We shall be journeying to Othrys. The General shall be there. And if Perseus is somehow there too and joins forces with The General or Lelantos, the Titans shall get what they want. They shall be invincible.”

The other two hunters looked equally disturbed as Zoe went on. “Chiron informed me after the council meeting. They have found out who is to pull out the sword and free the Titan.”

“Who?’ Bianca piped nervously.

Zoe sighed. “The son of Hermes. Thalia’s friend, Luke Castellan.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed at the look of disdain which came over Phoebe’s face. “If he is to free him, then why is he coming along on this quest? He shall be walking straight into the Titans hands. We’ll be giving them exactly what they want.” 

Zoe answered her, voice diminishing into a small whisper. “I do not know, but Chiron has ordered to go with him. But we must be alert. We shall not allow him to enter The Plains of Perseus.”

The three hunters nodded and Zoe pursed her lips. “Bianca, inform Atalanta that she is in charge while we are gone. You are to find more information concerning Perseus and try to get Chiron to speak.”

Bianca nodded firmly and Zoe’s eyes darted over to him. Luke took in a sharp breath, flattening himself against the pillar and let out a huge sigh of relief when Zoe said, “The lights in the Big House are on. Come, let us leave.” For a second there he thought he had been spotted.

A few seconds later, Luke heard the pattering of footsteps as the three maidens shot down the steps and jogged over to the Big House. He took in another deep breath and walked out, almost bumping into Nico. The new camper’s thoughtful expression slipped off and his eyes widened when spotting him. Nico exhaled. “What’re you doing here?”

The son of Hermes narrowed his eyes and said casually. “I could you asking you the same question, di Angelo.”

Nico shuffled back slightly and looked down. “How long have you been here?’

“How did you know the hunters were here?’ Luke answered his question with a question.

Nico sighed. “I heard them speaking and walking past the Hermes cabin and…” he hesitated. “I don’t sleep well, so I decided to follow them.”

Luke nodded, his thoughts moving back to Nico’s expression from before. He came to a deduction and arched an eyebrow at the boy. “You want to go on this quest?”

Nico glanced away. “Uh…yes?’

Luke sighed, shaking his head. “You can’t, Nico.”

The younger boy’s head snapped over to him and he looked defiant. “Why? Because I’m new? Because I’m young?’

Luke rolled his eyes. “Yes and yes. You haven’t been trained. You saw the manticore. There’ll be more beasts like that. And two of us are going to die. And if Zoe found you, she’ll have you sent back immediately. If you follow us on the quest, don’t you think your sister will be worried?”

Nico’s shoulders slumped in defeat and he sighed. Luke was bewildered over how easily and casually he had mentioned two of them dying.

Luke patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, kid. Your time will come.” His face darkened suddenly and he said. “Don’t speak of anything you heard here to anyone, ‘kay?”

Nico gazed at him curiously but responded, “Okay, I won’t.”

Luke nodded, smiling gratefully. “Thanks. Now come on, let’s get back to the cabin. It’s almost first light.”

Nico’s head bobbed and they made their way to the Hermes cabin.

THALIA let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding and slung her backpack over her shoulder. Gazing one last time at the cabin, she sighed again, before moving out the door and shutting it behind her. The camp was silent and seemingly empty. Thalia’s feet crunched on the snow as she began making her way to Half-Blood Hill.

Her mind was filled with thought and doubts as she walked and she tried not to let Kronos’ words get to her. She wondered if she could tell Luke about her dreams but then decided against it. She passed by sleeping cabins and the central hearth, making her way through the entire camp. Finally, she came to a stop next to her pine tree which had the golden fleece hanging on the lowest branch.

Petting the guard dragon, Thalia was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice a presence come up next to her. Her head spun to the side when she heard Luke clear his throat. 

Thalia observed him, working up her nerve. They faced each other, the tension so thick she was sure she could pierce it with her spear. Luke’s lips parted to speak but Thalia beat him to it, blurting out the two words she almost never said. 

“I’m sorry.”

Luke was stunned into silence and he blinked once, then twice. “What?”

“I said, I’m sorry,” Thalia spoke slowly. “I shouldn’t have been defending him like that yesterday and-“

“No, Thalia,” Luke said softly. “It’s me who should be apologizing. I was being a prick and I’m sorry.” He passed her a small grin, although Thalia could tell he was nervous.

She smiled. “I’ll only accept your apology if you accept mine.”

The boy next to her chuckled. “Yeah, sure. You’re forgiven.”

Thalia snorted at that. The awkwardness in the air seemed to dissolve and she turned away from him, focusing on the white minivan which stood on the road. Zoe and Phoebe were making their way there with Bianca, all three of them deep in conversation. Suddenly, Thalia felt fingers graze against hers and electricity flowed through her arm at the contact.

Turning to peer curiously at Luke, she looked down softly at their hands, which were brushing against each other. Thalia blushed and took his hand in hers and Luke intertwined their fingers. Smiling contentedly, she turned back to the van as Luke rubbed circles on the back of her hand.

Chiron came to a stop next to them and she turned to him. The old centaur took in a deep breath and spoke up. ‘Remember not to argue with the hunters too much, Thalia.”

She rolled her eyes. “No promises, Chiron.”

Their mentor’s lips spread into a smile. “Zoe and Phoebe already know about Perseus and the sword.” He turned to face them. “Be safe. Look after each other.”

They both nodded again and Chiron said. “Goodbye, heroes. And good luck.”

Thalia glanced at Luke and his eyes told her everything they needed to know. Taking in another deep breath, they made their way to the white camp van, fingers still intertwined. 

Thalia settled into her seat at the back with Grover, who was already in and asleep. Luke took his place next to her, his grip on her hand tightening. She smiled reassuringly at him, silently telling him with her eyes everything was going to be okay. She knew what they were walking into. But she was determined. They were going to find Annabeth and they were going to defeat The Titan Lord. 

PERSEUS took in a deep breath, strapping the knife to his thigh. He gazed softly at the Island of Ogygia and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Sighing and moving back into his cave, the Titan of the Earth plopped down onto his bed.

It was afternoon on Ogygia but he knew it wasn’t even six am in Camp Half-Blood. The questers would be setting out now. He sighed once again and His eyes drifted close, his breath becoming softer and quieter.

Slowly, he entered the Land of Dreams, trusting the minor god behind it all to take him to his destination.

Perseus slept soundly, knowing he probably wouldn’t be waking up for a long, long time. 

The girl stared at the black water, her eyes hard. She couldn’t bring herself to step into it. She knew it was necessary if she was going to host Kronos but she just couldn’t do it.

Taking in a deep breath she stuck one foot into the water. The searing hot pain made her feel dizzy. She wanted to scream out, but she tightened her jaw in defiance. She needed this. 

Her other foot entered the water and then her waist was disappearing. Soon, the girl was completely submerged.

A few seconds later she shot out of the water, gasping for breath. Her eyes were wide and she was freezing and burning at the same time. But she felt…stronger. She felt like she could take on an army of monsters and win. The girl’s thoughts drifted over to the two people who had been her link to the mortal world while in the river.

It pained her that she had to fight them soon. The girl turned, pushing the thoughts out of her head and walked out of the water.

Her mother and the other goddess stood, waiting, at the bank of the River Styx. The two Olympians were smiling in satisfaction and the newer spy said, “You are ready.”

The girl nodded and ordered. “Let’s get back to the Mountain. And then we wait. They’ll be here soon.”

The two goddesses obeyed, and her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl shut her eyes as They exploded into golden light and disappeared from the Underworld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, this chappie was really short. It’s more of a filler, to be honest. We had some offers from Kronos, some minor Thaluke, and the demigod spy bathing in The Styx to host the king of titans. Tell us what you think and please do not forget to vote, review or leave a kudos.
> 
> Cheers,   
> Triple Homicide.


	7. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perseus speaks with Atlas and an insufferable goddess. The questers head to Washington where they are attacked by The Nemean Lion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello. So I recently unpublished this chapter because of a slight problem. But it's fixed now. Please tell me what you think about the chapter now. Just a heads up, I will be going on a 6 month hiatus when December ends. Also, initially, I was supposed to write a new book with ZelotArchon but he had to pull out due to work. Nevertheless, Excidium Troiae has finally been published. Do check it out. Also, a special thanks to dwarvess for reading and editing all my mistakes in all our chapters. As usual, don't forget to vote, comment, review and leave a kudos.

I'm going to start by replying to the reviews (which caused me to rewrite this chapter) from some of my readers on .

Adamcoyne:

I do like the story so far it's very good. One thing I will say though is why did Perseus seem afraid of Atlás? He didn't seem to stick up for himself at all. Surely a Titan that almost defeated the entire Olympian council is only second to Kronos if even that right?

Also I'm making my guess for the traitors. Aphrodite and Athens.

Reply: Thank you for this review. I'm not going to say anything about the traitors though. Trying to keep up the suspense. For the part about Atlas I do not know what came over me. Again, I apologize for the sloppy writing. Thanks for drawing this to my attention.

Yesse2362:

have actually to plot things that bother me.

First is that you change Zoe's old language from old to new.

And the other problem is that it was said Perseus could defeat all 6 major olympians if he wanted to do he would be stronger than atlas.

Not that much but still that he wouldn't either let himself be put himself by that stupid goddess nor the Titan of strength, they aren't strong enough for that.

Also immortals are cocky.

Percys character aside the gods and Titans are at least confident because they know they are better and stronger than mortals.

Same goes for the monsters, it's obvious that they fear the Titans etcétera and wouldn't dare attack them so they attack eg the demigods instead.

Otherwise I enjoyed the chapter but I hope you maybe change a bit like for example the monsters that come after em or something.

Bye

Yesse

Reply: Thanks for also pointing this out to me. I get so confused when writing in 'thou' and 'thee' format. I'm going to correct that in this new rendition of this chapter. Also, I am going to try to edit the part about Atlas and try to make Perseus have that confidence other immortals have.

Six Foot Assassin:

This Percy almost killed the Olympians? He seems completely useless, weak and afraid of everything. You have no idea what you are doing.

Reply: This one hit hard. It's what caused me to write this chapter once again. Yes, I do not know what I am doing. I just write it as I go. There is no excuse for my sloppy and messed up work and I am going to try to make this chapter clearer and less confusing. Thank you for your review and I hope you stay for more chapters.

Anyway, enjoy the story!

LUKE tried to hold back his breakfast as Zoë drove. The son of Hermes groaned as the lieutenant of Artemis took a sharp curve. She was driving past the speed limit and Luke was surprised they hadn't been pulled up yet.

"Can we stop?" Thalia said what they had all been thinking.

"No," Zoe replied without taking her eyes off the road.

"What do you mean no?" Luke bit his lip to stop himself from exploding on her. "You might not be tired from sitting too long, but we are."

He could literally 'feel' Zoe roll her eyes. "We just got to Maryland. We have a long way to go. We shall not be stopping for anything."

"Do you want me to puke all over you?' Luke questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"He looks serious," Grover said nervously, inching away from Luke. "You'd better pull over."

From the passenger seat, the bigger huntress, Phoebe groaned. "We have to rescue our lady. You should never have come along. You just slow us down."

"You need our help to do that you b-"

"Thalia," Luke cut her off with a pointed look. "No swearing. Kids are reading this book."

"Could you please stop smashing the fourth wall?" Grover questioned.

"I'm going to get sick all over the van," Luke warned, ignoring the satyr.

"Okay, everyone shut up," Phoebe yelled.

He smiled in satisfaction when Zoë's feet slammed onto the brakes. She turned to glower at them from the front, and Luke rolled his eyes at her. "Is that supposed to scare us? Well, it isn't working." Luke let out a breath in annoyance. They were supposed to be a team but they just kept on arguing over and over. How were they supposed to rescue Artemis and Apollo if they couldn't even co-exist while driving?

"Thou would do well to remain quiet, boy. Five minutes," Zoë snapped. "Thou hath five minutes. How do the mortals say it, Phoebe? Right, Make it quick."

Luke literally flew out of the white camp van. His eyes moved in a circle once again at the semi-immortal hunter of Artemis' words. If he was asked to count how many times he had rolled his eyes that day he knew he wouldn't be able to. And it wasn't even noon yet. Thalia and Grover were on his tail. They all needed some respite from the Delphi Strawberry Service van. They had been travelling for about four hours and they were all fatigued. Luke walked away from the vehicle lazily, letting the wind energize him. He took in gulps of fresh air, stretching his limbs. Examining his surroundings, he didn't notice Thalia come up next to him.

"Nice move you pulled back there," His friend had a smirk playing on her lips. Her eyes twinkled and the son of Hermes felt a sudden warmth fill him at her voice.

"I wasn't joking, you know," he chuckled. "I would have thrown up all over Zoë if she hadn't stopped that van."

Thalia laughed and he smiled slightly at the sound. It was always refreshing to see her crack up.

"Hey, guys," Grover appeared at his other side. "There's a convenience store up ahead. Can we go in? I could seriously use some cans right now."

"Sure," Thalia shrugged. "We could get some food. There's none in the van."

"But Zoë said—"

"Screw Zoë," Thalia rolled her eyes. "Let's go in."

Luke sighed. They never listened to him. After Annabeth, he was the only one of them who had his head screwed on right. Thalia and Grover moved forward. Luke shook his head, jogging after them.

-X-

GROVER narrowed his eyes as he examined the convenience store. Thalia and Luke were busy flirting at a vending machine a few feet away from him. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. The satyr didn't understand why he felt on edge.

"What's wrong, G-man?"

He looked up suddenly to see Luke, his left eyebrow cocked. His questioning gaze made Grover want to chew some cans. "Nothing. It's just…I've been feeling a bit…weirded out since we left Camp. We're supposed to follow Artemis' trail, right?"

Luke nodded uncertainly. Grover barely noticed Thalia next to him, her expression equally puzzled.

The satyr sighed, rubbing his temples. "Never mind me, I'm going to scout out for some tin."

"Uh, okay?" Thalia piped, sounding unsure.

Grover watched them go back to flirting, and left, heading towards another section of the store.

The man appeared out of nowhere and the half-goat boy blinked in shock when he bumped into him. He tipped backwards, his open backpack swinging off his shoulder as he fell onto his podex. Grover scrambled up hurriedly, backing away from the mortal man. The dude was wearing a long brown trench coat, with a top hat to match.

"I'm sorry I-"

The satyr was cut off when the man looked up. His breath caught in his throat. Those dark eyes, the sinister smile. He would never forget them. Grover took two more steps back. Whoever he was, this guy wasn't mortal.

The man's lips stretched into a wide grin, white teeth flashing. He turned away from Grover without speaking a word and began widening the distance between him and the satyr. Soon, he disappeared down the aisle.

Grover's lips parted in shock. They had to get out. He took a step towards his backpack and then froze, a surprised expression forming on his face. Five acorns had fallen out of his bag.

Five acorns had created an ancient pattern on the ground.

Five acorns had shown him where they needed to go.

-X-

ZOË Nightshade shook her head adamantly. From across her, Thalia threw her hands up in a groan. Luke Castellan pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and the satyr sighed.

"We are not going to Washington," Phoebe spoke up for her. "We're travelling directly west."

"Why are you the ones calling the shots on this quest?" Thalia growled, her hands curling into fists.

"Because this quest is to rescue out Lady and her annoying brother. We did not force thee to come along, Thalia. Thou hast chosen to join us. And thou would do well to remember that." Zoë's face contorted into a glare directed at the daughter of Zeus she disliked more than any she had met.

"Look here, we're supposed to be a team," The son of Hermes started.

"No one asked for your opinion, boy," Phoebe hissed out.

Luke's face darkened and his hands moved to his side, where a sword was sheathed. "Call me boy one last time and I'm going to slice your throat open."

Zoë's eyes widened. This was not how their quest was supposed to go. Shaking her head, she stepped forward, placing a hand in front of Luke to stop him. Then she turned to Phoebe, motioning to her to step back.

"We are supposed to work together here," Zoë spoke. "Phoebe, stop riling them up every chance thee gets. Castellan, do not draw thy sword if thou values thy life. Thalia, we are not going to Washington. End of story."

Thalia's nostrils flared in anger and she took a menacing step forward. "It's an ancient tracking spell you vlacas. It showed Grover the path Artemis took. And that's what we're supposed to do. Follow her path."

"Yes, I agree with Thalia," Luke Castellan composed himself. "At least hear him out."

Zoë turned to share a glance with her sister-in-arms, who shook her head. Sighing, she turned back to the satyr boy, who had remained silent throughout the whole argument. He had a distant look in his eyes and it seemed as if his mind was far away.

"What dost thou think?" Zoë spoke, addressing him.

He blinked, turning to focus on her. "We have to go to Washington. I don't know why, but Artemis went through there. I think she was following one of the monsters from the prophecy. We might be able to find one of the Banes of Olympus there."

Thalia folded her arms, her gaze expectant.

Luke ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Phoebe bit her lip, a look of defeat crossing her features. She looked up, nodding to Zoë.

"Okay, then," She spoke. "We go to Washington."

-X-

THALIA groaned as they piled out of the car two hours later. Travelling sixty miles from Maryland to D.C. was exhausting. The tension in the bus was thick and she had been squirming in her seat for most of the drive. The argument in Maryland was still fresh in her mind. She didn't understand the hunters. Her hatred for Artemis' handmaidens was growing. They just didn't want to acknowledge that they weren't right all the time.

Zoë and Phoebe wanted to go directly west. Grover had used a satyr tracking spell and advised that they head through to Washington D.C. Thalia and Luke were prepared to go with whatever Grover had said. They trusted him. The campers and hunters had crossed swords. Thalia didn't know why Zoë and Phoebe had changed their minds but she wasn't going to question them. They had set off with Zoë still driving (which she had to admit irked her out a bit) and now, here they were. They had crossed the Potomac River and had made their way to central Washington, following Grover's satyr senses. Zoë parked the van near a random train station.

"What now?" Phoebe grunted, glaring at them.

Thalia watched as the satyr glanced around warily. His nose twitched and he pointed to their left. 'There. The Smithsonian."

"I do not approve of this," Zoë pursed her lips. "The prophecy said to head west. That is where we must be going."

"I thought we were past this?' Luke groaned. "We argued already in Maryland. No need to be at each other's throats here too. And we're in Washington now, what do you want us to do? Turn back?"

"Yes—"

"Let's just do things Grover's way, for now," Luke tilted his head to the side, cutting Phoebe off. "If we don't find anything of interest, we leave."

"Yeah, I agree," Thalia piped. "Come on."

She took a step forward, motioning for Luke and Grover to do the same, and began making her way to The Smithsonian, not bothering to check if the two hunters of Artemis were following.

-X-

PERSEUS blinked once, then twice. He shook his head to clear the dizziness which threatened to make him fall over at any moment. His brow furrowed as he took in his surroundings. Green grass, trees, mortals. There was some sort of really tall…nail-like thing in front of him and he had to force himself not to step away from it in surprise and shock. He'd never seen anything like it before.

His head moved to the left, trying to figure out where he was and his feet pawed on the ground in alertness. Perseus' hand moved down, and he couldn't help but feel reassured when finding the knife he had strapped to his thigh before. It was still there. That was good. It meant he would be able to take things along with him when he fell asleep.

Suddenly he froze. He had to force blink several times to check if he was seeing right. A huge car opened up a few feet away from him. It wasn't the mortal machine which caught his attention. It was the man who had stepped out of it. The man wearing the black overcoat plodded out of the car. He was flanked by two men in black overalls. Probably mortals being paid to guard him. He had heard of that from Apollo. They were called mercenaries.

Perseus shut his eyes tight. It had to be a trick of the light. There was no way he could be off the mountain already.

But he had been released from under the sky. It made sense he would leave Othrys. But why would he come here? Perseus shook his head once again to clear his thoughts. His mind played back to the night before, when he had made his…decision. He had thought he knew where he stood. But he had been confused. Something — or rather, someone – had been filling his head with all sorts of doubts after he had risen that morning.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He had to see what Atlas was up to. The titan of the earth took a step forward. He watched as The General began making his way towards one of the huge buildings around them.

Perseus began following, his footsteps quick, his breathing quiet. Thorn had been able to see him. He was on the Titan's side. That meant most of Kronos' allies would be able to see him too. He broke into a jog, tailing the Titan as he crossed the street and made his way to another building.

His eyes narrowed when The General pushed open the doors. The questions resurfaced. Perseus observed him silently, wondering why he was in the mortal world and what he was going to do in the huge building. He was confused, and he was a bit dazed from suddenly appearing in the mortal world. But he had to find out what Atlas was doing in the company of Prometheus' creation.

Perseus faintly wondered where Thalia and Luke were, and how the quest was going.

When he got to the door, he paused, taking in a deep gulp of air and trying to make things seem clearer in his head. Would they be able to see him? Maybe, maybe not. But there was only one way to find out. He would finally be reunited with one of his own. One of the Titans. His eyes flickered over to the sign on the door. He didn't read English but he was pretty sure it said the building was closed. Sighing, he reached out with his hand. Perseus pushed open the door to the building and marched inside.

XMX

The Titan of The Earth composed himself as he marched through the open doors. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and waited for The General to take his seat. He had thought he wouldn't be able to move through the doors.

Examining his surroundings, he walked away from the doorway but then froze. Atlas' eyes flicked over to him, stopping on his figure. Perseus met his hard gaze with one of his own. At that moment he knew Atlas could see him too. But he didn't know how to feel about that. He didn't know why but he didn't want to be seen. At least, not yet. Finally, his nephew's dark and merciless orbs looked away from him as the doors swung open once again. He bit his lip, realizing he had once looked exactly like that—his eyes had once held the same level of malice.

His gaze moved to the doors and he tried to see who had come through them after him. His lips curled downwards in distaste, a frown appearing on his face. He felt his hands moving to his dagger; he knew Thorn worked for the titans but he didn't trust him.

"Easy there," A voice purred from behind him. Perseus felt fingers wrap around his bicep. His gaze shifted to the nails on his arm, and then back to the person who had appeared out of nowhere. "Wouldn't want you to attack one of our own, now would we, Percy?"

His eyes hardened at the nickname Thalia used on him and he pulled away from the woman. "What are you doing here?' His voice was filled with venom. Of all the people, he didn't expect her to go against Zeus and the council of gods. "You betrayed Olympus too."

The woman swooshed forward, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She made her way to Atlas' side. "But of course. What have they ever done for me?"

"They're your family—"

"Are they?" The woman's voice was sharp.

Perseus snorted. "If you're trying to intimidate me, it isn't working."

"Your time on Ogygia has made you weak," She sneered. "Since when did you care about family?"

Perseus frowned. "I will not have you speak to me that way, goddess." The harshness of his voice made her recoil a little but she quickly regained her composure.

"I'm going to speak to you any way I please, Perseus."

He shook his head, a cold grin spreading across his face. "Are you?" Perseus made a small gesture with his hand and he felt the earth rise to his command. A slab of rock formed into a spear with a sharp edge. He tilted his head to the side, aiming his new weapon for her.

Immortals liked to show off their power. They thought of themselves as stronger than any other beings. The Titans and their allies only gave respect to those with power and influence. And that was exactly what he was going to show he had. He was ruthless to his enemies; he didn't care that she was on The Titan's side now. She had been a foe once. And she was annoying the hell out of him now, like she always did when she visited his Island. He smirked in satisfaction when the woman backed away. His hand dropped to the ground and so did his spear. The son of Gaea turned away from her to address all the other occupants of the room. "I'm going to assume you can all see me?"

"Yes, we can," The voice carried a heavy French accent and Perseus turned to face the monster who had come into the room after him.

He bobbed his head in a nod of greeting directed at Dr Thorn and then turned to the General. Atlas sat in the shadows, his arms resting on the gilded armrests of the chair. It reminded him somewhat of a throne.

Perseus' eyes met those of The Titan of Endurance, and he said, "What are you doing here?"

Atlas' tilted his head to the side, his gaze not wavering. His reply to Perseus made him want to punch his nephew in the face. "I would not believe it when I was told. It is true, then. You are…small."

He clenched his fists. "Just because I look younger than I am doesn't mean I can't drive a few spires of rock through your chest. Now, answer my question, Atlas."

When The General spoke, Perseus bit his lip. "Well, they are here."

It took him a few seconds to realize he was referring to the questers. His gaze hardened; he remained silent, not trusting himself to speak. The goddess by Atlas' side sent a lazy smile in his direction but her eyes were hard and vindictive. He smiled back coldly in her direction, flicking his wrists slightly. Nothing happened because he wasn't exercising control over the earth but all the same, the woman flinched. Perseus turned his attention back to the previous holder of the sky. "What do you plan to do to them?"

"Why did you stop Thorn from capturing the prophecy child?" Atlas barked in reply.

"You mean Thalia?' He arched an eyebrow. "I don't know."

He heard the goddess scoff. The titan of the earth pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "So do you want to answer my question, Atlas? What are you doing in the mortal world? And why did you draw me here?" He wasn't stupid. He knew The Titans were behind him travelling in dreams. His nephew had purposely led him to the room they were in now.

"I think you already know the answer to that, Perseus," Atlas answered. "Swear your allegiance to Lord Kronos. And deal with the demigods of Camp Half-Blood."

He paused. He wasn't ready to swear any allegiance to anyone. "I have no interest in this war, Nephew. I wish to remain neutral."

"Rubbish," The goddess snarled.

"Let me finish the demigods off, General—"

Atlas held up a hand, cutting Thorn off. "No. You have already failed me once, and proved your incompetence in doing so. You are not even worthy to carry out the duties of my scullion."

His lips pulled up in a small smile and Perseus couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction which engulfed him. Atlas waved once, a signal for Thorn to get out of his sight. And then his gaze shifted back to Perseus.

"Now, Uncle," he began. "What is this talk of staying neutral?"

"It means I'm not going to fight for anyone," he answered, shaking his head. "In case you didn't understand, let me break it down for you. I don't want to fight the Olympians anymore, I don't want to fight The Titans for the Olympians. I'm going to sit on the fence and watch you two clash and then shamelessly enjoy my peace while its happening."

"I don't think you understand," The goddess' lips curled into a smirk. "You have no choice in the matter. Lord Kronos has asked for your service. And you shall give it."

"Okay, I think I'm going to kill her," He took a menacing step forward, jaws clenched. The woman backed away further from him. Perseus stopped, satisfied. He turned to continue his conversation with Atlas.

He frowned in distaste when finding the son of Iapetus nodding in agreement to what the Olympian said. The Titan of strength spoke, his voice clear and loud. "The first thing we must do is separate the daughter of Zeus and the son of Hermes from the others. Once we have them both, the monster we seek — your pet — shall come to them."

Perseus realized what Atlas meant. They needed Thalia to turn. They needed his pet for a sacrifice. And Luke…they needed Luke to free him. He wasn't going to lie, It was an enticing offer. They could free him.

"But what about the hunters?" He asked. "Zoë-"

His lips sealed shut, a small smirk playing on his lips when Atlas' eyes flared with anger. It was always amusing to see him like this. "Do not speak her name!"

Perseus rolled his eyes. "I'm going to speak her name whenever I want, Atlas. She betrayed you. Get over it. As I was saying, the hunters will not allow those two to slip through their fingers easily." He knew his nephew was probably angry. But did he care? No. Shutting his eyes, he leaned on one of the pillars.

His eyelids flew open and he was met with the smiling face of the Traitor Olympian. This woman just didn't know when to back down. "Oh, the hunters will not be a problem, Perseus," she smiled evilly. "We have already thought of a way to…dispose of them."

He couldn't help but feel queasy suddenly. 'What do you mean?"

"Plant them," Atlas motioned to the woman with his hands.

Smiling, she moved forward, snapping her fingers. Perseus cocked an eyebrow when the dinosaur teeth appeared out of nowhere, in the ground. The goddess snapped her fingers once again and a watering can appeared in her hands. Instantly he knew what was going on. His brow creased when the woman tipped the can and the red blood poured out, onto the teeth. And then she spread her hands out in satisfaction, the can disappearing from her grasp.

"Rise."

The ground began to shake. The earth trembled. Perseus felt a wave of darkness, travelling through his domain. A single skeletal hand shot out of the ground. His mind recollected the name of the skeletal warriors. They hadn't been seen or used since the first Titan war, and then during the time of Cadmus and Jason the Argonaut. But they were here now. After eons, The Spartoi had awoken.

"Quick," Atlas barked. 'The scent."

One of the mortals scurried forward, clutching a piece of silver cloth. With a start, Perseus realized he was holding part of a hunter's silver chiton.

"Once the spartoi catch the scent, they'll pursue its owner until they are caught, and dead," His voice was hollow; his eyes were wide. From his seat, Atlas nodded. The mercenary tossed the piece of cloth onto the ground.

Immediately it made contact with the earth, the skeleton warriors exploded from the floor. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth the Olympian goddess had planted. They looked like mortal men, but with dull grey skin, yellow eyes, and modern clothes—boots, and the other mortal clothes he didn't understand. Their skin shimmered and were transparent and their eyes were hollow and empty.

Their gazes were fixed on the piece of cloth on the ground.

Perseus forced himself to look away from them, his attention going on Atlas again.

"So, what do you say? You want your freedom, don't you? The gods will never allow Luke Castellan to pull out the sword. But we will. We don't know why you decided to defend Thalia Grace in Maine but Kronos is willing to overlook that. All you need to do is separate Thalia and the boy from the others, and then lead them to Othrys."

His green eyes met Atlas' dark ones. His thoughts drifted off and he was quiet for a few heartbeats. Their offer was alluring. He would gain freedom, something he had always longed for. He licked his lips. And then he gave his answer.

"Okay. I'll do it."

-X-

THALIA froze when she heard the growl.

"No one move," Phoebe's voice was quiet and had an edge of fear in it.

Thalia ignored her, turning around slowly, her hand moving to her silver bracelet on her wrist. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and bright golden fur. It opened its maw in a loud roar and Thalia could have sworn she heard Grover whimper.

"The Nemean Lion. Don't move, Thalia."

She let out a small yelp of surprise when a hand grabbed her arm. The grip was firm and she turned her head to the side to see who it was. "Percy," her voice was a low whisper. "You're here."

Thalia's brow furrowed when he simply nodded. His eyes were dark and his expression was serious. Brooding.

"Okay, guys," Luke's voice made her turn away from her Titan friend. "On the count of three, we separate. We can confuse it that way and then take it down."

Thalia nodded, her eyes flickering over to Percy's hand, which was still on her shoulder. "You can let go of my now, Perseus."

He flinched from the use of his full name, although Thalia couldn't have figured out why if her life depended on it. Perseus blushed, letting go of her hand and taking a step back.

Thalia cocked an eyebrow. He was acting weird. Very weird. Pushing that thought to the back of her head, She reached into her pocket, pulling out her canister of mace and threw it into the sky. Her bronze spear fell back into her hands and she smiled, using her free hand to tap her bracelet. Her shield, Aegis, formed out of the silver ornament and slipped into a battle stance.

She heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed and knew that Luke was also getting ready.

"One."

Thalia tensed.

"Two."

Her sharp eyes caught Percy drawing a small dagger from his thigh as the beast prepared to pounce.

"Three."

She jumped out of the way as the lion pounced. Arrows sailed past her and she could hear Grover play a tune on his reed pipes. She was aware of the mortals screaming and diving for cover. She didn't know what they saw but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Thalia turned and saw Zoe and Phoebe scrambling up one on the spaceship things. Their hands were moving so fast she couldn't see them properly. Their arrows were a blur of silver and although they were coming in their numbers, they were still not enough; they all shattered on the monster's fur.

The Nemean Lion roared and Thalia found herself frozen in her spot. She was paralyzed with apprehension. Luke appeared out of nowhere, his sword raised above his head. He stabbed downward, intending to pierce through the beast's foot. Thalia felt her blood chill when the lion's paw shot out, slamming into Luke and sending him flying.

And then she moved. She jumped forward, her spear raised. Grover played another jingle on his pipes and a few vines crawled towards the lion. It growled, its claws slashing through the satyr's magic and tensed to pounce for Grover. The daughter of Zeus launched herself forward, placing herself between the beast of ancient times and her friend. She raised her shield, making the lion cower at the sight of Medusa. Thalia let loose a roar. "Get back!" Her spear shot forward and the lion widened the distance between them, growling at her shield.

"Grover, move."

Her eyes never left the Lion but She heard the satyr scramble away from her. Thalia discerned another growl enumerate from deep inside the Lion of Nemea. Her eyes caught sight of the muscles in the beast's leg tensing.

It was going to pounce.

She stood, frozen as the Nemean Lion roared and leapt off the ground. Her eyes widened. It was going to kill her. Suddenly she felt the earth tremble. And then the ground in front of her exploded. A slab of rock shot out of the earth and the lion slammed into it. She turned. Percy stood behind her, his expression hard, one hand stretched out.

He had saved her. Again.

An arrow whizzed past her head. The piece of rock fell back onto the earth and the Lion jumped out once again. It was pouncing for her again. She was frozen. The beast's maw opened and suddenly a dagger whizzed past her ear. Thalia blinked as the piece of weaponry sailed through the lion's open mouth and into its throat.

The Nemean Lion went limp and dropped down from the air. Thalia blinked as it started retching. The mouth. Its weakness was its mouth.

She turned swiftly, moving away from the beast. Thalia jogged over to one of the capsules, where Zoë and Phoebe stood, with a dazed Grover by their side. "The mouth. Shoot the arrows into its mouth. We can kill it that way."

"Where did that slab of rock come from?" Phoebe questioned, eyes narrowed.

"That doesn't matter right now." Thalia turned to see Luke limping over to them. "Do as she says. Kill that thing before it starts hurting the mortals."

She could feel the hunter's questioning gazes on her but she ignored them, instead sending Luke a small nod of appreciation. Her gaze travelled to the Lion, which was still retching while Percy watched on.

"Grover, get Luke some ambrosia," Thalia barked. "I'll draw the lion here. Zoë, Phoebe, you take it down."

Thalia ran back to her spot from before and shouted. 'Hey, Kitty! Over here!"

"What are you doing?' She felt Percy come up next to her.

"Just watch."

She backpedalled as the monster roared and jumped for her once again, retching forgotten, mouth open. Thalia concentrated and smirked when she smelt the ozone in the air.

"Now!"

First, it was two arrows. Then four. Then six. She roared, calling down a huge blast of lightning. The bolt blasted through the roof, slamming into the Lion. Thalia watched with sick fascination as the monster thrashed wildly. Then it stopped and fell to the ground. The lion was dead.

She blinked as the mythological beast shimmered. Thalia looked on as the lion seemed to shrink. Soon, it was replaced by an overcoat made out of something which she guessed was the lion's golden fur.

Around her, Alarms blared and mortals were screaming. The sounds seemed distant. They seemed far-away. She moved forward, her hands gingerly picking up the Nemean Lion fur coat. She didn't do fur coats. Lips curling in distaste, she dropped it back onto the ground.

"That was…interesting," Percy piped.

"I know," Thalia said brushing her hand through her hair. Then she turned to Percy, her brow furrowed. 'When did you get here, though?"

"I—"

"We have to leave!" Zoë's voice floated over to her. "Come on!'

Thalia pursed her lips, asking Percy another question. 'Are you coming with us?"

"Of course," He replied smoothly. "We'd better go now, though. I think Zoë just spotted the Spartoi which The General sent after you all."

She didn't have time to process what he had just said, because he had reached out for her once again. His fingers curled around her wrist, sending a spark of electricity shooting up her arm. Thalia blinked once, then twice at the contact. "Come on," Percy mumbled. She nodded numbly, and let him lead her back to the others.

"Zoë—"

The hunter of Artemis cut Thalia off. "We have to leave immediately. No arguments."

"Zoë, listen," Thalia snapped. "There's someone called The General here and he's sent some things called Spartoi after us."

Thalia took note of the girl's suddenly pale face.

"I know," Zoë replied, trying not to make her voice betray her fear. "I can see them."

Thalia turned, suddenly feeling sick. Through the glass walls of the museum, she could see the group of aforementioned things walking across the lawn of the mall. Grey translucent men in grey camouflage outfits. Thalia shuddered. The eyes…they all seemed to be staring right at her.

"Now, if thou doesn't want to get dismembered and suffer a gruesome death-by-skeleton, thou shall come with me. Immediately."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, so this was the edited version of this chapter. Tell me what you think.
> 
> Also, here's a short poll.
> 
> -Do you guys want Riptide to make an appearance in this story?
> 
> \- Who should use Soul Reaper? Percy or Luke.
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> 
> TripleHomicide.


	8. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The questers are attacked on the train and they jump carriages. Each of them have a heart-to-heart after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There were two updates today. This one and Chapter six. Please read the previous chapter before this short 4k filler.
> 
> Hello guys. Again, I apologize for the terrible version of Chapter six I posted before. It has been fixed now, though. As usual, don’t forget to point out any mistake I made. Leave a comment, review, vote or kudos. Thank you.

“There’s a copter tailing us!”

LUKE exhaled, urging his feet to go faster. The skeleton warriors from before were nowhere to be seen but he was still feeling uneasy. He didn’t believe they had lost them. His skin was tingling. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he risked a glance behind him.

There were two helicopters, coming straight for them. He could hear the sounds of machine guns being fired from the vessel. He was honestly surprised none of them had been hit yet. But still, the mortal mercenaries were getting closer. They wouldn’t be able to escape in time. And running was extra hard for him—He had been tossed out of the fight in the museum like a rag doll by the lion. He’d broken a rib and his ankle had been smashed against one of the capsules. Although Grover had given him some ambrosia and nectar, walking hurt like hell. Luke’s gaze travelled to Thalia. She looked oddly calm about the situation. His lips curled downwards into a frown, mind drifting off to the battle against the Nemean Lion. That spire of earth which had saved Thalia…he knew exactly what that meant.

Perseus was there, with them. And Thalia had allowed him to come along. Resisting the urge to groan, Luke looked away from his best friend. He still didn’t understand why she trusted him. He could be working with the Titans. He could be purposely trying to get them to The Plains of Perseus so he could be free. He wasn’t trustworthy. Luke didn’t understand why Thalia couldn’t see that.

But what’s done is done, Luke, he thought. No need to let it bother you. He’s here now. There’s nothing you can do.

Luke skidded to a stop when they got to the spot Zoë had parked the Delphi Strawberry Services van. His hand reached out to open the back door, but Thalia’s voice made him halt.

“They know the van,” She stated. “We have to ditch it.”

He sighed. Chiron was so going to kill them. But she was right. The Titan’s copter would keep coming after them even if they got into the van. And the D.C. traffic would definitely slow them down.

“The station,” Grover spoke up suddenly. “We can lose them with the trains.”

“He’s right,” Phoebe panted, wiping sweat off her brow. ‘Let’s go.”

Zoë Nightshade didn’t argue. They shot down the road and Luke found himself thanking every god in existence that they had decided to park so close to the station. He could hear the chopper coming up behind them and he clenched his jaw when he heard another series of firing.

He was surprised the military hadn’t shot down their pursuers yet. But they probably thought it was one of their own. Or maybe the man who had sent the skeleton warriors after them—The General—had manipulated the mist to stop them. The questers raced through the station entrance, found their way to the ticket booth and purchased five tickets. Luke didn’t even bother to find out where they were headed. The five of them piled into the train which was ready to go.

He only relaxed when he found his seat. He was next to Grover and the satyr collapsed in his seat immediately he located it. The sounds from the chopper faded and got more distant. He leaned back in his seat, shutting his eyes. His feet were killing him, his ankle was burning.

Luke resisted the urge to have more of the godly food. Too much of it could kill him and he wasn’t prepared to die until Annabeth was safe and the Titans were beaten.

He could only hope they would succeed.

XMX

“Luke! We have to move now.”

The son of Hermes groaned, eyes flickering open. And then he yelped, leaping back in shock. A dagger impaled the back of the seat he’d been in before, coming out at the other side. Luke’s gaze travelled across the entire carriage and he cursed, drawing his sword from its sheath.

As usual, it was unbalanced. But it was the best one Camp had gotten for him, so he’d have to manage. Luke gritted his teeth. How in the name of Hermes’ helmet had he kept on sleeping during a battle? Muttering a string of cuss words in greek, he ran forward and skidded to a stop next to Thalia.

“Ah, sleeping beauty,” Thalia chuckled dryly while ducking from another throwing knife. “How nice of you to join us.”

Luke ignored her comment. He wasn’t sure he could handle jokes at that moment. “What’s going on? What are those…things?” He dodged a wild slash from a sword. A silver arrow sailed past his ear, lodging into the throat of one of the owners of the weapon which had almost got him.

“I don’t know,” Thalia huffed, pulling her electrically charged spear out of a monster’s torso. “They attacked the train when we got out of Washington. The mortals run off for other carriages. I don’t know what the heck they saw but they were spooked.”

Of course they would be spooked, Luke thought. It was literally a battalion of dog-headed men, coming from every corner of the carriage. He sidestepped another hack from a random sword and stuck his weapon into the chest of another of their attackers. He spun in a slight circle, his sword arm swinging and lopped a head off. From his left, he heard the sound of a reed pipe and knew Grover was performing his satyr magic.

His eyes caught sight of a blur of silver, weaving through the dog-men hybrids and bringing about three of them to their demise every five seconds. He could make out the glow of a silver tiara and two silver hunting knives and knew immediately that it was Zoë.

That meant Phoebe was the one shooting the arrows. Luke ducked low, his foot shooting out and swept one of the monsters off their feet. Panting, he leapt up, stabbing his sword through it.

“Watch out!”

The son of Hermes glanced up suddenly and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. He dove aside to avoid the sharp claws of the hybrid which had crept upon him. Cursing, Luke began to back away as the frothing fangs of the dog head barred. It started to advance but then stopped, then exploded into golden dust. Thalia spun her spear in her hands, before slamming the non-business end into the head of one of the dog-men.

“Thanks,” He reached out to grab Thalia’s outstretched hand.

“No problem,” She grinned. “Now please, wake up properly before I shock you to Tartarus. Get your head into the game.”

Rolling his eyes, he allowed her to haul him up. “Where’s your Titan friend? Can’t he swallow them up with the earth or something?” He asked, brow creased.

“I don’t know where he is now,” Thalia answered, rolling her eyes at him once again. It seemed to be a hobby of hers now. At the same time, she ran her spear through one of the monsters which were coming up behind him. “And no, he can’t do that, you idiot. We’re off the ground.”

“Oh, I forgot that,” Luke chuckled. His eyes narrowed and he stabbed forward, narrowly avoiding impaling his best friend in the gut. His sword pierced through the stomach of the monster creeping up behind her and it made a horrendous sound which he guessed was barking, before exploding into dust and sulphur.

“Would you two please stop flirting?” The distaste leaking out of Phoebe’s voice made Luke snicker. The daughter of Apollo came up next to them, her fingers nocking and releasing arrows so fast they were just a blur.

Thalia rolled her eyes at the huntress’ words but was smiling good-naturedly. Luke slashed upwards, slicing open the throat of a monster as Grover appeared next to him. Zoë Nightshade ploughed through the monster ranks, knives slicing and dicing anything which got in her path and leaving a trail of monster dust behind her. Soon, she was standing next to Thalia, poised to strike.

Luke smiled in satisfaction as the five of them created a circle and fought off the monsters. This was how their team was supposed to be. He felt like a proud father, staring at his children who were working with each other instead of arguing.

“We must leave the train,” Zoë’s voice cut through his musings. “We shall be overrun any second now by the cynocephali.”

Ah, so that was their name.

“For once I’m actually going to agree with her,” Thalia yelled over.

“I can hear another train coming,” Grover spoke. “We can switch.”

“I agree with Goat boy, let’s go for the exit,” Phoebe pushed her way forward, her bow clearing a path through the monsters. She went first, then Grover, then Thalia. Zoë went after her, then finally Luke. They pushed their way through the packed train carriage, and Phoebe threw the door open.

Luke could feel a presence behind him and he was a bit surprised none of cynocephali had attacked him yet. Then he realized that Perseus was keeping them at bay. He was helping them escape. Although Luke couldn’t see him, his suspicions were confirmed when one of the monsters exploded. He heard the sound of another train coming up.

He looked up, biting his bottom lip. Phoebe and Grover had already jumped out of the door. He watched as Thalia went next. Luke cursed when noticing one of the monsters barreling towards him. On instinct, his sword arm shot out to cut it down but suddenly the cynocephali exploded into a shower of golden dust.

“Thanks, man,” Luke yelled at the air. He turned back to the door to find Zoë sailing through and landing with grace into the open door of another passenger train.

“Come on!” He heard Thalia’s voice come from the other side of the railway. Luke glanced back, at the monsters which were approaching. The train he was on was going to make a turn. He took in a deep breath.

And then he turned to the entrance, ran and jumped.

-X-

THALIA groaned when they got off the second train. There was a bandage wrapped around her arm, where one of the cynocephali had managed to land a hit. Luke, Grover and the hunters were by her side as they piled out of the train and into the snow. Thankfully they hadn’t been attacked on the second train and she had managed to get about an hour of shut-eye. But they were well off course. Instead of heading west, the train they had taken had sent them south. Their deadline was drawing closer and for the first time since they started the quest, Thalia felt they weren’t going to rescue the twin gods and Annabeth in time.

The train had stopped at an industrial area—a sort of railway yard with warehouses, trains and railways. It was snowing when they finally got out and Thalia momentarily regretted leaving the Nemean Lion pelt behind. She was feeling so cold.

“We’d better check for any trains headed west,” Grover suggested, rubbing his palms together. “Then we might be able to hitchhike.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Luke’s teeth were gritted, trying to prevent them from chattering. He’d landed on his ankle again when he had jumped and his limp was worse. The ambrosia and nectar Thalia had force-fed him seemed to be working though.

Zoë nodded, a signal for them to move.

Thalia shoved her hands into her pockets, trying to keep them warm. She felt someone come up next to her and turned to glance at Percy. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the cold but he was lost in thought and his eyes were far away. Thalia nudged him slightly with her arm.

“What’s with the look?”

He blinked, a bit startled from the sudden movement, and turned to her. “It’s nothing. I was just…thinking.”

Thalia nodded, deciding not to pry. He had been acting weird since the museum. She silently wished she had telepathic powers so she could be able to tell was running through his mind. Her gaze shifted to the trains which were lined up in the railway yard. All of them were empty and layers upon layers of dust. Thalia guessed they hadn’t moved in a while. They were getting nowhere. If they didn’t find a train soon, she was sure they would all die of hypothermia.

Perseus’ voice broke through her thoughts, making her turn to him. “Look, there’s a train going west.” Thalia’s eyes followed his arm, which was pointing at one of the freight trains. There was no snow falling on it (which was supposed to be impossible because it was snowing) and it looked relatively new. One of the doors were opened and Thalia spotted a row of sleek cars in it. The side of the train had some huge words written on it but she was too far away to make them out. In front of her, next to Grover, Luke had stopped and seemed to be staring at someone leaning on the train. Thalia’s mind drifted back to the lines of the prophecy.

The Banes of Olympus shows the trail.

She turned back to the others. “Hey, I think I found us a ride.”

“That’s great,” Phoebe licked her lips, which were already turning blue. “Come on, let’s go.”

-X-

PERSEUS leaned back in his seat next to Thalia in front of the car. It was his first time sitting in one of the mortal vehicles and he had to say, he was impressed. Prometheus’ creations had come a long way. He didn’t know what type of car it was but he didn’t care. It was comfortable. And that was all that mattered.

His mind drifted off to his meeting with Atlas and that insufferable goddess, the spartoi coming after them and his agreement to lead Thalia and Luke away from the others. Looking at the daughter of Zeus seated next to him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. And then he cursed at himself for feeling guilty. The goddess was right. His stay on Ogygia and too much time to reflect on his thoughts had made him weak. But if the Titans managed to turn Thalia, that would be good. And Luke would pull out his sword and Perseus would finally be free.

But how would they react when they found out he had been using them?

Sighing, he shut his eyes. He didn’t need to bother about that now. He would cross that bridge when he got there.

His eyes fluttered open after a few seconds. The Titan of The Earth played with his fingers in restlessness. He could hear the train chugging down the railway. It was a new and foreign sound to him. But it helped calm him down.

“What’s on your mind?” Thalia’s voice broke through his reverie. He turned to face her, forcing on a smile. “You’ve been on edge since the Nemean Lion.”

“It’s nothing, why do you ask?”

“I know a disturbed human being when I see one, Percy,” she rolled her eyes. “I’m not an idiot, you know.”

His lips curved upwards into a smile. “That’s where you’re wrong, Thalia. I’m not a human being.”

“Oh, I keep forgetting,” The sarcasm dripping from her voice made him snort. The Titan turned, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

“But seriously though,” Thalia spoke again. “What’s bothering you?”

“It’s just…we’re heading to Othrys. I don’t know how to feel about that,” He lied through his teeth. “Both The General and Lelantos are both going to be there.”

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, you know,” Thalia bit her lip, patting his arm empathetically.

“Oh no,” he laughed. “I want to help you.” He looked away, unable to hide the guilt in his eyes. He had never felt like that before. He couldn’t understand it.

Perseus watched from the window of the car as Zoë Nightshade got into one of the empty vehicles. The afternoon sun shone through the side of the train and the titan glanced at Thalia. She was staring intently at Zoë, a mixture of a glare and a frown etched on her face.

“Why do you look like you want to kill Artemis’ lieutenant right now?” He piped, trying to lighten the mood.

“Oh, I do? Sorry I didn’t realize that.” Thalia fiddled with the hem of her leather jacket. There was a silence in the car for a few heartbeats and then she continued. “We just…don’t get along. She tried to recruit me to join the hunters a long time ago. I refused.”

“Why, though?” He tilted his head to the side. “You could have been semi-immortal. Surely that was a great deal.” He couldn’t understand her. From Apollo’s stories, the hunters only died in battle. No sickness, no aging. How could a mortal have enough willpower to decline that?

“I would have had to leave Luke behind,” Thalia said, looking out of the window. “And Annabeth.” She added.

He remained silent and Thalia went on. “Zoë and I argued. She said some…things.”

“You should talk to her,” Perseus advised, voice soft. “You all can only work together if you both sort out your differences.”

“Since when did I hire you to be my therapist?” Thalia scoffed.

“I don’t know what a therapist is, but it sounds interesting. I’ll take the job.”

He smiled when she chuckled. Thalia pushed open the door of their car and walked out. “I’m going to do as you said. Just hope I don’t kill her before nightfall.”

“Yes, that would be very bad.” Perseus laughed, throwing his head back on the seat and shutting his eyes. He could hear Thalia walking away from the car and he exhaled. It was bad enough that he had to betray her. Now he was getting attached too.

He just hoped he would be able to do the deed when the time came.

-X-

LUKE blinked, unfazed as the air around him solidified and the man appeared in the seat next to him. He rested his arm on the window of the sleek black Lamborghini and examined the immortal silently. He wore a black suit but he had dark curly hair, an impish grin, with bright mischievous blue eyes. Luke instantly guessed who it was.

“Luke,” Hermes greeted his son, his voice soft.

“I’ve been waiting for almost thirty minutes,” Luke glanced away from him. “What took you so long?’

“How did you know I would be coming?”

“I saw the name of the train,” He rolled his eyes. “And I saw you. Unlike popular belief, I’m not stupid. I know you created the train to take us west, Hermes.”

He sighed when seeing his father wince. He knew why. He never called him Dad. Not after what had happened to his mother. Not after he had left him alone to deal with her. Hermes’ grip on his cell phone tightened but he forced on a smile. “Don’t say my name, please. Zeus has forbidden all of us from interfering and I don’t think my disguise is doing any good. Olympus has gotten boring without Apollo and Artemis bickering, to be honest. My pranks don’t even get the desired results because Apollo isn’t there.”

Luke snorted. “Just tell me why you’re here,” He licked his bottom lip. “Can you help us or not?”

“I’m already helping you,” His father stated. His smile was genuine now and his eyes were twinkling. “The train shall take you across the country. At speeds you would never have thought possible.”

Luke nodded his thanks and spoke. “So, the monster Artemis was hunting,” he paused for effect. “Do you know what it is? Do you know what the banes of Olympus are?”

“You were right in your deduction at the counsellors meeting. Perseus is one of them. He’s still on Ogygia though, so I don’t understand how exactly that works.”

Luke decided not to mention that he was probably in a Mercedes Benz with Thalia, listening to Green Day. He huffed in frustration. He didn’t understand Thalia’s closeness to the Titan. Hermes went on, “As for the second one, seek out Nereus, the old man of the sea, when you get to San Francisco. See, he knows things. He might tell you what the prophecy is referring to.”

Luke nodded again. “Thank you.” He leaned back in his seat, shutting his eyes. If what Hermes said was true, they were already halfway across America. They would reach their destination soon…and they would have to pass through the plains of Perseus to get to the Mountain of Despair. He sighed. He didn’t want something like what happened in that dream to happen again.

“Look, son,” Hermes’ voice made his open his eyes. The god seemed to have read his mind. “I know it’s hard. I know you’re conflicted. But don’t worry,” He paused. “I know you’re going to make the right decision when the time comes.”

Luke smiled, this time genuinely. “That means a lot.”

“Get some sleep,” Hermes reached out hesitantly and squeezed his arm. “I’ll see you soon.”

Luke watched on as the god of messengers and thieves disappeared into mist. He knew his father was trying. He knew Hermes wanted to reconcile. He looked at the passenger seat sadly.

“Goodbye, dad.”

-X-

ZOË looked up when the door to her automobile swung open. Expecting to see Phoebe, her lips parted in surprise when the daughter of Zeus sat next to her.

“What is thee doing here?” Zoë questioned, eyes narrowed.

“Relax, Nightshade,” Thalia rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to try anything.” She paused, exhaling. “I wanted to talk.”

Zoë found herself relaxing at Thalia’s words. She was still suspicious and didn’t believe she hadn’t come to argue but she wasn’t going to provoke her. “Well?”

“I want to call a temporary truce,” Thalia looked Zoë in the eye and the hunter could tell she was serious. “No more fighting, no more bickering. At least until the quest is over.”

Zoë blinked in surprise. She felt a bit overwhelmed at the sudden suggestion from someone who hated her so passionately. But Thalia was right. They would only be able to defeat him if they co-existed.

“Fine,” She nodded to the daughter of Zeus after a few seconds of silence. “No more fighting.”

-X-

The girl placed both hands behind her, standing straight. She was aware of her mother watching from the doorway and she could feel the presence of the king of Titans all around her. She licked her lips in anticipation, trying not to let her nervousness show.

The air in front of her shimmered and a figure formed from the mist. His eyes widened, more in surprise at being there than in shock at seeing her. Then his green orbs hardened. His gaze travelled across the entire room again and the girl sent a cold smile in his direction when it came to settle on her.

“Hello, Perseus.”

He turned to her, his lips pursed. “You work for the Titans.” It was more of a statement than a question but she nodded anyway.

“Are they on their way?” She queried.

It took him a few seconds to answer because his forest green orbs were fixed on the sarcophagus in the room. Finally, he replied. “Yes. They are. The spartoi have not reached us yet, though. I shall attempt to separate Thalia and Luke from the others when they do.”

“Good,” The girl tried not to wince at the mention of the two demigods. “Lord Kronos is pleased with your service. Make sure you do not fail.”

His face was set in determination and he scoffed, “I won’t fail. I never have and I don’t intend to.”

The girl turned away from him as he faded into mist and dust. Her mother made her way into the room, eyes shining with pleasure. It was time to head back to Othrys. Time to meet Lelantos and The General. Oh, and the other goddess too.

It was time for Kronos to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m sorry for the short chapter. Thank you for reading and do tell me what you think.
> 
> -TripleHomicide.


	9. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perseus feels even more uncertain. Luke is seduced by the greatest daughter of Hecate, some perlia occurs and one is lost in the land without rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, it's TripleHomicide here. As I said, I might be going on a hiatus but I will try to complete the Titan's Curse section of this story before I do. Do tell me what you think about this chapter. As usual, don't forget to point out any mistake I might have made and please leave a comment or review to tell me what you think, and a vote or kudos if you liked the chapter.
> 
> And also, if you haven't, check out my new story, Perseus: Excidium Troiae.
> 
> Enjoy the story!

PERSEUS pursed his lips as they walked on. It was morning already and the others seemed rejuvenated from the rest they had had. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, afraid that he might end up back on Ogygia if he dared to shut his eyes. He was feeling okay though. Immortals didn't need sleep. He could run on his reserved energy for several weeks before he would need to rest. He wanted to spend every moment in the mortal world now. He didn't miss his Island. Not one bit.

His mind drifted to the girl he had seen when he had been transported away from the questers. He still couldn't believe it. He wondered how the others would feel when they found out. But it made sense. Her mother worked for his family, The Titans. She definitely had a hand in her daughter working for them too. Perseus looked down, eyes on the snow as they walked. The others were oddly quiet. Thalia hadn't killed Zoë yet, which he assumed was good, Luke seemed a bit sobered up, Grover was on edge, nibbling on a piece of wax paper, and the two hunters kept on exchanging furtive glances, as if worried that something bad was about to happen.

He knew they were nervous. They were getting closer to their destination. And the time for him to separate Thalia and Luke from the others was drawing nearer. Once they were separated, his pet would come for the daughter of Zeus. Atlas had explained it all in detail. Her fatal flaw was lust for power and they would play on that. They would use the cow-serpent hybrid to turn the prophecy child against the Olympian gods. And Luke…they would make Luke pull out his sword, finally freeing him and setting into motion the chain of events which would lead to the Fall of Olympus.

Perseus ran a hand through his hair, pushing his wild black hair out of his eyes. He looked up and examined the mortal settlement they had walked into. His eyes picked up a sort of sign but he couldn't tell what it said. Next to him, the satyr spoke, reading from the metal signpost. "Welcome to Cloudcroft, New Mexico."

So that's what it said.

Cloudcroft was the smallest place he had been to so far. He found that oddly amusing since he had only been on Ogygia after the war and Othrys before his punishment, and then Camp Half-Blood and the museum since the dream-transportation had begun. He could see a few mortal buildings around. There was snow everywhere and he stared, a bit fascinated. It never snowed on Ogygia. He was getting sick and tired of the summer. It was extremely cold in this tiny place but he didn't mind. It didn't bother him. As long as he had golden ichor flowing through him, he would be okay. He had a natural resistance to extreme temperatures.

He spotted Thalia slowing down so she was level with Luke, who was a few feet behind the hunters. Perseus moved forward, knowing they were about to discuss something of importance. He came up next to the son of Hermes, who turned to glance at him. Although Luke couldn't see him, Perseus knew he could feel his presence. Luke's eyes narrowed, but then he turned so he was facing Thalia. Grover made his way to Thalia's other side and Perseus observed as the three friends talked in low voices.

"I spoke with Hermes last night," Luke began. "He got us here."

His expression was blank but his eyes were hard. Perseus continued to stare at him, confused. Then a memory resurfaced and he remembered a discussion he'd had with the god of the forge a few years back. Most of the demigods were ignored by their godly parents and thought they didn't care for them. They did but as the ancient laws forbade direct interference in the lives of the demigods and mortals, they were left to fend for themselves. The gods could only watch and sometimes helped out a bit when they were sure Zeus wouldn't get to know about it. But help from the gods was rare and the demigods' lives were horrible. Get to Camp Half-Blood, or die. It took him a few seconds but he guessed that Luke and Hermes were probably going through a bump in their father-son relationship.

"That's good," Thalia said slowly. Perseus could see the unease in her eyes. Both Grover and Thalia were tense, probably because Hermes was a touchy subject for Luke. "What else did he say?"

"He said I was right," Luke was also a bit nervous, but he was trying not to show it and Perseus instantly guessed he was about to say something about him. Luke was wary of how Thalia would react. "Perseus is one of the banes of Olympus the prophecy spoke about. But the gods think he's still on Ogygia."

"They're dumb, then," Thalia rolled her eyes. "He—"

She was cut off by Grover holding up a hand. "Hold up, what? The Titan isn't on his island? How—"

"You didn't tell him?" Luke cocked an eyebrow.

"Tell me what?" Grover looked bewildered and if he was being true to himself, Perseus didn't blame him. He would also be dumbfounded if he discovered that the one immortal who could destroy the gods and end western civilization was free from his prison. The Titan of the Earth realized that Grover also knew about him. Not many people did, because the gods had tried to blot his name from the history books. They couldn't face such a disgrace to their name. It would negatively impact their rule if people knew a single Titan had been able to bring them to their knees once before.

Thalia pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Perseus has been with us since the quest began. Scratch that, he's been around since we got to Westover Hall. He helped me fight Thorn. I'm the only one who can see him, though I can't figure know why. He reappears around me when he falls asleep on his Island so it's like—"

"His spirit is transported here, but his body is chained on the prison," Grover said.

Thalia nodded, continuing. "We told Chiron about it. He went to see the Olympians and he asked us not to tell anyone, sorry."

"It's okay," Grover was blinking rapidly, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And let me guess, he's standing next to us right now?'

Thalia's eyes flickered over to Perseus and he waved, sending her a small smile. The corner of her lips pulled up in a lopsided grin and she nodded in answer to Grover's question.

"And you have no problem with it?' Grover was getting loud and Thalia shushed him, placing a hand on his mouth.

"She doesn't." The bitterness leaking out of Luke's voice made Perseus lick his lips and look away. Luke clearly still didn't trust him. He had tried to make the boy feel more at ease by saving his life in the mortal train during the cynocephali attack. But it seemed as though that hadn't worked. "She's certain he's on our side."

Perseus looked down, his deal with Atlas barging into his head. He didn't like the indecision and turmoil he was facing. It would be even worse if he failed in his mission and had to fight them. But if he succeeded, Thalia would be by his side, with The Titans. And Luke…they could convince him to join them too.

"Luke," Thalia's eyes were narrowed and her voice had a warning tone to it.

"Never mind," He waved it aside. "Hermes said we'll figure out what the second bane of Olympus is. We have to get to San Francisco and find some dude called Nereus. He'll be able to tell us what it is."

Grover nodded numbly, nose twitching. Thalia fiddled with her silver bracelet and Perseus found himself gazing at the son of Hermes. He still couldn't understand what was making him act that way no matter how he tried. He tried to pry into the demigod's mind; tried to see what he was thinking. Blinking in surprise when he was met with a mental wall, he moved from his place beside Luke. The son of Hermes had enough willpower and resolution to stop an immortal from accessing his thoughts.

Perseus felt oddly proud of the fact. Sure, Luke hated that he was destined to free him. But this only proved the fact—He was the worthiest hero alive.

"There is a coffee shop up ahead." His head snapped to his left at the voice. The hunters had slowed down so the demigods could catch up with them and it was Zoë who had spoken. "Thalia, Castellan and I shall get breakfast. Grover and Phoebe try to find a way out of town."

None of them argued. As they made their way to into the coffee shop, Perseus lagged behind the two demigods and hunter, keeping his distance.

-X-

LUKE poked his inner cheek with his tongue as he walked into the coffee shop. He glanced around, eyes narrowed. Thalia was walking alongside him and he knew she was pissed off.

Damn it, Castellan, can't you do anything right?

Ever since the Titan had shown up, she was always getting mad at him for not trusting that Perseus had changed. He exhaled, rubbing his temples. If Thalia was right, then it meant Perseus was right behind them. His eyes flickering over to the lieutenant of the hunt marching alongside him. He was a bit surprised she had asked him to come along. He would have thought she wouldn't want him to be around her because he was a male. Thalia had walked on ahead of them, already moving to order some coffee. The huntress was examining the store, her form tense.

Luke could tell she also felt what he did. His skin was tingling with apprehension and a voice seemed to be screaming at him to get out while he could. He groaned internally. Maybe he was going crazy. There was no voice and there was nothing wrong with the coffee shop. The girl at the counter was just a normal mortal with…shining brown eyes? Or were they green?

His hands moved to draw his sword. She might be a monster.

He let his hands fall back to his side. Now he was seeing things. Her eyes weren't green. She wasn't a monster. A different voice seemed to be whispering into his ear, reassuring him.

Luke stepped back in surprise when the girl's (definitely brown) eyes met his. She seemed to be his age, with dark hair falling to her back. She sent him a small wink, licking her bright red lips seductively. He felt heat explode over his face when she kept on staring. Her eyes were glittering and her attention was on him. The demigod forced himself to look away, shoving his hands in his pockets. The tingling feeling came back. Luke clenched his jaw, trying to calm himself down. It was probably nothing.

Before he knew it, he was standing next to the others, who were placing their orders. He remained quiet, not trusting himself to speak when he felt the girl's gaze on him once more. He was faintly aware of Thalia sliding some cash over to the woman as she handed them the bags of pastries and drinks.

Soon, they were leaving the coffee shop. Luke tried to move as the others began making their way to the door. But His legs were rooted in place and he struggled to lift his foot. Nothing. Panic began setting in and he looked up to see the girl smirking in victory.

"Luke?" He heard Thalia's voice from the door. "We're leaving." All her anger seemed to have disappeared and her voice was leaking with barely concealed concern at him standing as still as a statue.

"Just a second," The words tumbled out of his lips against his will. He felt a force compelling him to speak. "I'll join you guys soon."

"Okay," Thalia seemed to accept his explanation.

No, it is not okay!

Luke tried to yell out. But no matter how much he attempted to, he couldn't speak anymore. He heard the door opening and shutting as the two girls walked out. And then the brown-eyed girl was in front of him. He blinked furiously, trying to tell when and how she had gotten there.

"So, you're the famous Luke Castellan." Her voice was soft and silky and Luke could feel her breath on his neck. She was so close and he was starting to feel uncomfortable. "I've heard so much about you."

"Who- who the Hades are you? How do you know my name?" He struggled to let the words out. Whoever this girl was, she wasn't just a simple mortal. She had done something to him; placed him under some sort of spell.

"You don't know me?" Her finger was stroking his cheek softly as she spoke and Luke shuddered as she purred, "That's a pity." He could feel the magic surrounding her now. He felt himself relaxing. Luke's eyelids suddenly felt heavy and he cursed internally when they started drooping. It was like a blanket of calm was settling over him, forcing him to feel at ease. His mind was becoming hazy and all he could see was her bright green eyes now. He couldn't speak anymore and he felt her power over him increasing.

Luke couldn't form any coherent thought. His gaze rested on the girl and he licked his lips. Damn, she was hot. His eyes drifted over to her mouth as the girl spoke again. "You don't need to be shy, Luke. Everything is fine. You aren't in danger."

He found himself nodding, although his eyes never left hers. And then he was leaning in. At the back of his mind, he knew what he was doing was abnormal. He knew something was definitely wrong. But he ignored it, connecting his lips with hers.

-X-

THALIA was starting to get worried for her friend. She pursed her lips as they waited and took a sip from the coffee she had gotten, trying to look calm. Grover and Phoebe had returned a few minutes ago and they were waiting for Luke to reappear. Beside her, Perseus was tense, his brow furrowed as if he was bothered by something.

"Something isn't right," he murmured. Percy turned to her and stated, "Luke is in trouble."

That was all it took. Thalia was alert, her hand moving to her pockets to take out her canister of mace. She turned to face Zoë who arched an eyebrow when she spoke.

"I'm going to see what's taking him so long," She motioned towards the shop. "If I'm not out in five, come in after me."

The lieutenant of the hunt nodded in response. Thalia sent her a grateful smile, before jogging over to the coffee shop. She could see Percy beside her, looking perplexed. She smiled to herself. Thanks to his encouragement, she and Zoë didn't quarrel any more. They were on friendly terms now, although she wouldn't say they were close. They understood each other and Thalia had a feeling they would be unstoppable in battle if they worked together.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Percy cursed from beside her. They had come to stop in front of the coffee shop and he was peering through the glass.

"What's wrong?" She inquired, feeling a sense of dread overtake her.

"It's Lamia," He muttered under his breath, drawing a dagger from his boot. Thalia didn't know where the hell he kept on getting weapons from. "She's in the form of a mortal girl. She has him under her spell and she's going to kill him if we don't stop her."

She was stunned into silence. She'd heard of the monster from one of Chiron's classes at Camp. A former daughter of Hecate who used her magic to prey on men and seduced them, before drinking their blood and feeding on them.

"She's like an empousa," Perseus explained. "They have the same abilities and they both serve Hecate but she's far stronger than those she-demons. Luke's life force is already dwindling…"

Thalia didn't know what an empousa was but she didn't care. She felt red hot anger consume her at the thought of Luke sucking someone's face and then getting himself killed. No one killed her best friend. Not even if he was being an annoying prick. She pushed open the door, rushing in with a roar.

Thalia realized that Lamia was the girl who had given them the coffee and pastries. She saw her eyes flicker from brown to green, then back to brown. She had the daughter of Zeus' best friend pushed against the wall and the monster had been about to take off his jacket. She cringed internally, noticing Luke blink once before his eyes widened. He pushed the girl off him, scrambling away quickly, falling onto his rear end.

Thalia snarled as she got closer, her spear shooting forward, but missed as the girl sidestepped her thrust. All she saw was red as she stabbed forward with her spear again, catching Lamia in the shoulder. She didn't give the monster a time to retaliate. She pulled out her spear, then slammed the nonbusiness end of the weapon into the she-demon's head, then spun it around, before ramming the bronze tip into Lamia's chest.

The monster looked surprised as she burst into golden dust and sulphur without a sound.

Thalia tried to get her breathing under control as her spear transformed back into her canister of mace. Eyes widening, she turned, rushing towards Luke. He was rubbing his temples, groaning. Percy was kneeling next to him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Is he okay?"

The Titan nodded, not taking his eyes of the son of Hermes. "He's just a bit dazed. It's a good thing we got here in time."

She huffed in relief. "We'd better get out. I don't want to be here when she reforms."

"Don't worry, you won't," Percy reached out, hauling Luke up by the arm. She moved to his other side, grabbing the blue-eyed boy by the hand.

"Let's go."

Together, they made their way to the doors, and she kicked it open with her leg. She spotted Grover, Zoë and Phoebe exactly where she had left them. But something was happening. Thalia's eyes widened as a warm wind blew past. She could smell…wildflowers and sunshine. But that was impossible. It was winter. Then she heard Zoë gasp in surprise.

"Grover, thy cup!'

Thalia heard a squeak and her head snapped over to her left, where a rat was scuttling past. She looked to the others once again, starting in shock when she spotted three doves flying into the sky. Where had they had come from?

They got to the others just as Grover collapsed in a heap onto the ground.

"What's happening?' Thalia asked. "What's wrong with Grover?'

"The satyr collapsed," Phoebe stated.

"No shit, sherlock." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Ladies, ladies," Luke drawled. Thalia noticed Percy had let go of him but he was still clutching to her like she was his lifeline. "We have to move. We need to leave this place."

"I agree with thee," Zoë said. "It is not safe. Come. Let us go."

-X-

PERSEUS grimaced as the huntress Phoebe cursed. They had gotten to the edge of the town and The Titan of the Earth watched as they were surrounded. He did not move to draw a weapon and stood, motionless as the Spartoi aimed their mortal weapons at the questers. From beside him Thalia tapped her bracelet and her shield sprang to life. Her spear was ready to pierce a hole through the undead. Luke groaned a bit. Perseus could see he was exhausted and still dazed from his experience with Lamia. Nonetheless, he drew his sword from his side, slipping into a defensive stance. Grover was still knocked out cold. He was leaning on the daughter of Apollo, who had been dragging him along with Zoë's help. The two huntresses attempted to arm themselves with their bows.

He counted the skeleton warriors. There were five of them. The demigods had no chance—they would be overrun before they had an opportunity to strike back. And if what he remembered about the undead warriors was true, they wouldn't even be killable. He looked around him, green eyes observing the warriors. He had a feeling they could see him just fine. And he knew it was time for him to begin his work. This was the perfect chance to separate Thalia and Luke from the others.

Perseus watched as Thalia sprang forward, spinning her spear in her hand. She reared back, slamming the butt of her spear into the head of the nearest Spartoi. The force behind the hit sent the undead warrior into the snow, its bones and rotten parts separating as it fell to the ground. Almost instantaneously, the parts moved and the skeleton began reconstructing itself.

Luke leapt from his spot beside, charging the second skeleton warrior with a roar. He slashed upwards at his adversary, his sword slicing through the black rod thing the Spartoi was holding. He ducked low as the skeleton raised its other arm which carried another weapon. Perseus spotted its bony finger pulling at something, before a loud bang was heard. Luke hacked at the zombie's legs, cutting through the bones. The skeleton fell onto the ground.

The son of Hermes exhaled in relief. And then he swore in greek when a clattering sound came from the heap of bones and skin beneath him. Like the skeleton Thalia was currently battling had done, its parts were reassembling. Luke stomped down on the zombie to separate its pieces but then yelled when a skeleton arm shot up, grabbing his foot.

Perseus' eyes widened. It was time to do something. He raced forward, fingers curling around the hilt of the dagger he had pulled from his boots. He skidded to a stop when he got to Luke, raising his foot. The Titan of The Earth slammed his foot into the skull of the grey warrior, smashing it to pieces.

The arm holding Luke went limp and the demigod jumped away. Perseus moved forward again, his hand reaching out. His fingers curled around Luke's wrist and he tugged him along, running for Thalia.

That was one down, another one to go.

"Thalia!' He yelled when he got to her. Her eyes flickered over to him as she ducked low, avoiding a spray of tiny things from the weapon which made loud noises. Her foot shot out and she kicked he Spartoi in the chest, sending it flying through the air. "Come on."

"What's wrong?" She arched an eyebrow at him, dodging another spartoi's huge black rod as it came at her.

Perseus motioned with his head to the trees. "We have to get out of here." From behind him came a stream of silver arrows, but he knew the hunters were doing little damage.

"We're—"

'Just come with me," He yelled. "We need to leave."

"But the sp—"

"Only Hades and his children can permanently kill them," Perseus deadpanned. "Do you want to get dismembered?"

She was silent for a few second, then nodded. Perseus exhaled in relief. This was a lot easier than he had expected. He signalled with his head to the trees again and was about to take off when he heard the loud bang and then a yell of pain.

"Phoebe!' Zoë Nightshade dropped down next to her fellow huntress. Luke wrenched his arm away from Perseus, shouting for Artemis' maidens and their satyr friend, before rushing forward. Thalia's eyes were wide as she fell in step with him. The satyr was standing on his own two feet now, wide awake, with one of the huntresses, Phoebe, down on the ground. She had been hit by one of the things from the weapons the Spartoi held. Blood was leaking out of her shoulder, tainting the snow bright red.

Perseus inhaled when he felt a second rush of air. It smelled weird, exactly like the one he'd felt after they had saved Luke. He hadn't been in the lost god's presence since the Titan war. His eyes widened when Grover played a tune on his reed pipes. The satyr was complicating things.

He cursed again when the trees moved behind him. Vines and leaves and branches swirled towards them as Grover kept on playing his reed pipes. Perseus watched in amazement as the vines wrapped around the Spartoi, ripping them to shreds and scattering their bones in the wind. It would take them a few minutes to reconstruct. This was the same way Pan had fought off the undead warriors eons ago. He sighed. His plan to take Thalia and Luke away while the others were distracted had been foiled.

Thalia reached Grover just as he fell sideways. She grabbed him before he could collapse in the snow. "We need to leave. Now. The Spartoi will be back."

Zoë nodded numbly, still bent over Phoebe. From beside Thalia and Grover, Luke placed two fingers to his lips, releasing a shrill whistle. The Titan of the Earth clenched his fist when he spotted the three pegasi sailing towards them. They were led by a pure black pegasus, who nickered when his feet touched the snow. Perseus could understand him just fine, although he could tell the others could not.

Ayy, you called for me, Boss?

Luke patted the horse on the muzzle "Hey, Blackjack. We need help. Think you can get us away from here?'

The horse nickered in response. Luke turned back to the others as Thalia spoke. "Luke, help Grover on."

The son of Hermes nodded, moving forward to grab the satyr from the blue-eyed demigoddess. Thalia raced over to Zoë and Phoebe, falling next to them in the snow on her knees. "Is she okay?"

"She is losing a lot of blood," Zoë was trying not to let her fear show. "She shall die if not healed immediately."

"We'll work on her soon," Thalia promised. "Let's get out of here first."

Zoë nodded numbly. "Help me lift her."

The youngest son of Gaea observed as Thalia and Zoë Nightshade lifted Phoebe out of the snow. They placed the daughter of Apollo onto one of the pegasi and Zoë got on behind her. Luke propped Grover up properly. The satyr had passed out again from overexerting himself.

Thalia mounted the last of the steeds. He could see the hesitation in her eyes as she climbed on but he shrugged it off. She called out to Perseus when she was seated. "You coming?"

He bobbed his head in a nod of agreement, making his way to her. He hoped the pegasus wouldn't be wary of him. The Titan jumped onto the flying horse, taking a seat behind the blue-eyed daughter of Zeus.

He would have to try to separate them again.

And this time, he wouldn't fail.

-X-

LUKE flicked Grover's ears to wake him. They had stopped so they could heal Phoebe and the son of Hermes could tell that Zoë was freaking out. Phoebe had lost a lot of blood and although Artemis' lieutenant had managed to staunch the flow, the daughter of Apollo was still as pale as a sheet.

Grover groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He looked around him in surprise. The blue-eyed demigod jumped off Blackjack and Luke moved so he could pet his companion. He couldn't understand the pegasus but it was great having him around. He'd saved Luke's life on about three occasions. It was a good thing they had rescued him from Kronos' monster cruise ship.

From the corner of his eye he could see Thalia stumbling off the winged horse she was flying. She looked extremely pale and if Luke hadn't known about her fear of heights he would have thought she was the one who had been hit by the Spartoi's bullet. His mind drifted off to the coffee shop and he couldn't help but shudder as he remembered everything that had happened. He wouldn't say it out loud but he was grateful to Perseus. He knew it was him who had sensed that something was wrong.

The demigod sighed. He couldn't understand how he had allowed whoever that monster-witch had been to overpower him. In a way, she reminded him of an empousa. He had fought those monsters once before, when he had been fourteen, a few months before meeting Thalia and then Annabeth. The monster-girl from the coffee shop had used a spell on him to make him lower his defences and she had kissed him. He shuddered again, his hand moving to his lips, attempting to rub away any traces of her cherry lipgloss.

Luke turned to Phoebe, who was slumped on the back of the white pegasus. Zoë had feared that she would start bleeding again if she was moved. The lieutenant of the hunt looked agitated and anguished. He knew why. Phoebe was her closest friend and was one of the best hunters. The lines of the prophecy floated into his head. Specifically, the two lines that indicated death.

One shall be lost in the land without rain.

He didn't know where they had landed but it certainly wasn't a desert.

He reflected over the second line: And one shall die by a parent's hand.

Luke huffed in relief. There was no 'parent' around for that to happen.

"Can you heal her?" He heard Thalia's voice and turned to see her speaking to the air.

Her shoulders slumped in obvious defeat, showing that the Titan had replied in the negative.

Luke sighed. Of course he wouldn't be able to heal her. He was the Titan of The Earth. His domain was the ground. And right now, the earth was buried under mounds of snow. Even if he had some level of control over healing, it would only be to treat his injuries. The gods and titans he'd met so far healed way faster than the mortals did.

Luke glanced away from Thalia, just in time to see Grover jumping off Blackjack and moving forward. He made his way to Phoebe and Zoë and Luke muttered a silent prayer of thanks to the gods at his words. "I can heal her. Or at least, try."

"Anything is welcome," Zoë spoke, voice cracking. "Just make sure she does not die."

Grover nodded and Luke observed as he did his work, playing a tune on his reed pipes.

A few minutes later, Luke could see the colour returning to Phoebe's skin. Her eyes flew open and she looked around her in astonishment, gaze shifting to the bandage on her shoulder. Zoë shoved a bottle of silver liquid towards her, looking relieved that she had awoken.

"What's that?" Grover questioned.

"Moon water," Phoebe replied woozily, taking the bottle from Zoë. "Special nectar for the Hunters of Artemis."

"Phoebe, it's a good thing you're awake," Luke sent a forced smile in her direction. "But we have to keep moving. The Spartoi aren't defeated and they'll catch up if we slow down."

"I hate to say it but the boy is right," Zoë nodded. "You can rest more when we decide to stop for the night. But for now, we move."

Luke nodded, climbing back onto Blackjack, who neighed. Grover jogged over to him and the son of Hermes hauled him up behind him. Zoë launched herself off the ground, landing behind the pegasus she was sharing with Phoebe. His gaze shifted to Thalia, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but on a flying horse.

"It's going to be okay, Thals," He called. "Guido won't drop you."

She nodded, sending him a small smile of gratitude, before hauling herself onto the horse. At the back of his mind, Luke knew Perseus was also on the pegasus and he forced himself not to glare. Looking down, he rubbed Blackjack's neck.

"Let's go."

-X-

THALIA tried to not to scream as they flew on, suddenly feeling the urge to puke her coffee and muffins. The wind was whipping her hair into her eyes, making them water and she gritted her teeth, squinting to prevent them from watering. The brown pegasus she was seated on kept flying and she sat, tense and stiff, trying not to look down.

She caught a whiff of wet earth after rain and tried to relax, knowing Percy was seated behind her.

"What's wrong, Thalia?" Although his voice was low, she could hear him over the rush of the wind.

"N-nothing," She managed. She kept looking straight on, trying to keep Luke, Grover and the two hunters within sight. Already they were lagging behind.

"Are you sure?' He sounded concerned and Thalia tightened her hold on the pegasus' mane.

"Yes, I'm sure." She tried to keep her voice from cracking.

"I can sense your fear, you know."

Thalia cursed. Stupid immortality and its stupid perks.

"And I can read your thoughts too," He chuckled. Thalia released a string of curses in greek.

"You're afraid of heights," Percy stated, matter-of-factly.

"What? No I'm not," She shook her head, trying to deny it and forced out a laugh. "I'm a daughter of the sky god, how can I be afraid of heights? Don't be stupid, Percy."

"There's no need to put up a brave face while with me," He said, voice soft. 'It's okay to be scared of heights. It's natural."

Thalia took in a shaky breath, turning her head so she could see him. His eyes were as soft as his voice and he was smiling reassuringly. She turned back to look forward, starting a bit when she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind. Thalia felt her face heat up and she tried not to stammer as Perseus leaned in. "What the Hades are you doing?"

"What does it look like?' She could tell he had rolled his eyes. 'You're afraid of heights, right? Well, I'm going to make sure you don't fall."

She felt a foreign warmth fill her and took in steady breaths, calming herself. Thalia smiled at the wind as it rushed past.

-X-

PERSEUS grinned slightly as he hopped off the pegasus. The horse neighed and he rolled his eyes at its comment, turning to look at Thalia. She sent him a small smile of appreciation, although her face was bright red and he nodded to her, before examining his surroundings.

The sun was setting in the horizon and his eyes narrowed as he took in the mounds of metal rising in front of them. He felt the electricity in the air and he immediately knew that they were bad news. He tried to recollect where he'd heard about hills of weapons and metals and stuff before but Perseus simply couldn't remember, no matter how much effort he put into it. Maybe losing ancient memories were normal for the oldest immortal deities.

But he could have sworn he'd heard something about pieces of weapons and mortal stuff before. If he could just remember when…

"It's a junkyard," Thalia said.

"We shall stay for a few minutes," Zoë spoke. "And then try the junkyard soon. Phoebe needs to redress her bandages and I am sure the rest of you need rest. Riding on the pegasi for that long was…uncomfortable."

Perseus cracked a smile. Zoë was still the same. Even after all these eons. Grover plopped down onto the ground. Thalia found a seat on the earth next to him. Perseus watched as Luke spoke to the pegasi. The pure black one neighed at something the son of Hermes said and the Titan guessed they were leaving. His eyes drifted over to the junkyard and then narrowed into slits when he spotted the sleek black car disappearing down the road.

He found himself moving before he could think about it, racing down the road and after the black mortal vehicle.

XMX

The goddess from the museum stepped out of the car when he reached it. Perseus' expression shifted into one of annoyance and anger when he spotted her.

"Aphrodite," His voice was cold when he spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, loosen up, Perseus," The goddess of love rolled her eyes, leaning on the black car. "I'm not here to seduce you if that's what you're thinking. Neither am I here to threaten you."

"Threaten me?" He scoffed. "Where, in your dreams?"

The goddess licked her lips, her eyes boring holes through his body. "I know you hate me, Perseus. But we're going to have to put our differences aside. We're on the same team now, remember?"

He shook his head, pinching the bridge his nose. "What do you want here? Start talking before I turn you into an earthen statue."

"You promised to separate them when the Spartoi attacked. You failed," Aphrodite smiled coldly. "And Lord Kronos isn't too happy with you."

'The satyr ruined things," He snarled. "If you were watching like I think you were, you would know this."

"Pointing fingers now, are we?' Aphrodite smirked.

"You're testing my patience, goddess," He hissed. "Do you want a repeat of the museum?" He was faintly aware of the laugh of amusement coming from the front seat of the car. The driver turned, sending a wink to Perseus, who frowned in distaste. He scowled at the driver. Another minor god had joined the Titans. But what would Eros hope to gain by doing so?

He turned to back to the insufferable goddess. "You forget, Aphrodite, I am one of the people you say you serve. I am a Titan."

"And you forget, Perseus, I am the personification of love. I am the one who cursed you. And I can do it again. I can make your life very, very miserable." She sneered at him and Perseus rolled his eyes.

"All you say are empty threats," He crossed his arms. "I have no connection to your domain anymore. There's nothing you can do."

"That's what you think," She smirked again, before checking her nails. "I have seen some things. I know what will come to be." She paused. "I'll see you again sometime, Perseus. For now, I have to go. Lord Kronos shall not tolerate another failure from you. Remember that."

He snorted. There was nothing Kronos could do. He was trapped inside the pit as they spoke.

"Watch your back, Aphrodite," He said contemptuously. "There's a lot of things that could happen to you as long as you walk my domain."

He could see the fear flash in her eyes as she took her seat at the back of the car but the goddess of love composed herself quickly. "You'd better run along now, Percy. I believe your new friends are in a bit of trouble."

"What do you mean—" He was cut short by a loud explosion and then a yell of panic filling the air.

-X-

LUKE dropped the ballpoint pen he was holding in shock, backpedalling when the metal giant appeared out of the scrap metal.

"What did you do?" Phoebe's voice was accusing and her eyes were narrowed at him. "Zoë said not to touch anything!"

He couldn't answer. His attention was fixed on the giant bronze piece of metal rising from the hills of junk. It was clothed in full Greek battle armour, complete with a sword and a spear strapped across its back. The giant statue was tall. Taller than any skyscraper Luke had ever seen. It seemed to glint in the moonlight, which defined its figures and made the sword look extra sharp. Luke found his hands moving to his side and before he knew it he had drawn his weapon.

"It's Talos!" Grover yelped from beside him. "Everyone get back!"

Luke's eyes grew impossibly wide. It couldn't be. Talos was from ancient times. He couldn't be in the junkyard.

"No," Zoë's voice came to him. "It is a prototype. A defective model, but it is still extremely dangerous. Fall back!"

He didn't need to be told twice. The son of Hermes moved another step back as the giant took a step forward.

"Someone took something," Thalia hissed. "Who took something?"

Luke glanced around, eyes wild as the giant advanced on them. His gaze fell on the pen which he had dropped, a few feet away from where he was standing now.

"Luke?" Grover's voice was impossibly small. "What's wrong?"

He looked down, his hands curling into fists. "I'm sorry. I just saw this pen and I—"

"Pen?" Zoë's voice was sharp. "Which pen?"

He pointed at the ballpoint pen on the ground. "That one." Luke turned to see the other's expressions. Thalia's eyes were fixed on the giant statue. Grover was backing away slowly. He caught Phoebe and Zoë exchange a glance. The lieutenant of the hunt looked extremely pale and her eyes were wide and filled with panic.

"Impossible," she muttered. "It cannot be here—"

"There's no time for talking about random pens now!" Thalia yelled. "Run!"

Luke dove out of the way as a huge bronze sword slammed into the earth. He rolled, jumping up at the last second, to find himself next to Thalia. Her bronze spear and her shield were ready. Luke's eyes picked up a volley of silver arrows, hurtling through the sky. The hunter's projectiles slammed into the giant statue but shattered harmlessly against the metal. Luke could see Grover at the other side of the junkyard, playing with his reed pipes. But it was hopeless. They were in the desert. There was no greenery around.

Then he paused. The desert. Luke cursed loudly as the line from the prophecy barged into his head.

One shall be lost in the land without rain.

"Why the hell did you touch that, Luke?" Thalia hissed from next to him. Above them, Talos swung his sword, slashing through a row of power lines. The lines exploded in a shower of sparks and Luke found himself being shielded by a giant shield.

He smiled guilty, replying to her, "I don't know. Sorry."

Next thing he knew they were racing away from the giant, who had raised his sword once again, to smash them to pieces. A stream of silver arrows sailed towards it, but they were doing no good. Luke risked a glance behind him. He swore once, jumping to the side and grabbing Thalia by the waist. Both of them tumbled out of the way of the gigantic sword, slamming into a heap of junk.

"Thanks," Thalia breathed out, jumping to her feet. Luke nodded, moving to stand.

"Talos!' Grover yelled. The monster's head turned and it took a step towards the satyr.

"We have to do something," Luke spoke. He stood, watching transfixed as the giant raised his sword over his head. He stabbed downwards and the son of Hermes spotted Grover scrambling away. The monster's sword struck the earth, throwing Grover off his feet.

"No!" From beside him, Thalia yelled out. Thunder boomed and an arc of lightning shot down from the sky, slamming into the giant and causing an explosion so loud Luke's ears stopped working for a few seconds.

The giant toppled over, falling onto his back and letting out a creaking sound which Luke guessed was machine groaning. He saw the two hunters, crouching behind a hill of machinery and firing silver arrows. Then his eyes spotted the gaping hole in the giant's heel as it struggled to rise. He could make out the red words painted around it, and an idea formed in his head. He knew exactly what he had to do.

"Come on!" He yelled over to Thalia, grabbing her wrist. Luke pulled her along, racing towards the two hunters. He skidded to a stop when he got next to them.

"I have an idea, guys," He panted out. 'Zoë, Thalia, I need you to distract Talos. Phoebe, you go get Grover."

"Luke, what—"

"There's no time to explain," he cut Thalia off. Luke offered her a sad smile. "If anything happens—"

"Nothing shall happen to you, Castellan," Zoë spoke before Thalia could. "We shall make sure of it." Luke blinked when she uncapped a pen. It was the same pen he had taken before. The one which had caused Talos to wake. The pen grew into a three-foot sword, made of celestial bronze.

He didn't have time to admire it though, because Zoë was nodding over to him and racing towards the giant metal statue a few seconds later. He could see something shining in her eyes. Respect. Thalia smiled over at him, mouthing two words. Be safe. Then she was also running after Zoë.

Luke sent a curt nod to Phoebe, who nodded back. He sprang forward, his jaw clenched. What he was going to do would probably get him killed. But he was willing to sacrifice himself. If it meant the survival of his friends, he would do anything. He just regretted not being able to tell Thalia that he held a level of feelings for her. He would always be sorry about that.

But that was okay. She would be safe. Perseus would never be freed. His home would be protected. That was all that mattered.

He heard the boom of thunder and then another arc of lightning struck the now standing giant. Luke heard Zoë yell and he knew she was attacking the giant. He grimaced when Talos raised his left foot to stomp Zoë and Thalia. And then he jumped.

-X-

THALIA watched with sick fascination as the bronze giant punched itself in the face. She looked around her, eyes wild, trying desperately to see where her best friend was. But all she saw was Phoebe, hauling Grover up to his feet. Grover steadied himself, then played a tune on his reed pipes and one of the broken power lines from before rose, still sparking with electricity. It rushed towards the giant, then reared back, smacking it in the butt.

The giant slapped itself once, then twice. Thalia stared on in confusion. What was it doing? What was going on? The bronze sword dropped from Talos' hands, crashing onto the ground.

"We have to leave!" Phoebe shouted over.

"Where's Luke?" Thalia asked.

"He's inside Talos!" Grover sounded worried and Thalia was about to move towards the giant (who was staggering towards the power lines) when a hand grabbed hers. Zoë pulled her out of Talos' path, and the daughter of Zeus began yelling in rage.

"How will he get out?! Let me go, Zoë! I have to help!"

The huntress ignored her. She felt a sense of dread overcome her and Thalia's brow furrowed in worry. They kept on running, making their way out of the junkyard. Thalia risked a glance behind her as they got to the highway. She stopped, freezing in her tracks as Talos fell onto the power lines. Arcs and flickers of blue electricity raced up and down the giant.

And then it exploded into pieces of metal, with Luke still inside.

-X-

PERSEUS stopped when he got to the junkyard. His eyes widened when he spotted Thalia, standing as still as a statue. Her face was pale, eyes blank and holding no emotion.

He felt apprehension flood through him, and he glanced around the junkyard. There were flaming pieces of metal everywhere. What in the name of Kronos' scythe had happened? He counted the questers. Grover was there, sniffling, Phoebe looked uncomfortable and gloomy at the same time. Zoë was standing next to Thalia, eyes trained on the pieces of metal strewn around them.

They were only four of them. Where was Luke?

And then it dawned on him. That explosion he had heard.

It had happened exactly as the prophecy had foretold.

One was lost in the land without rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, I'm done. I wasn't satisfied with this chapter. My mind's been foggy the whole day. A lot of things went down in this chappie though. We had Perseus still feeling even more uncertain, Luke getting seduced by the most powerful daughter of Hecate, a bit of Perlia and…dun, dun, dun….Luke's unfortunate demise.
> 
> Please don't scream at me. Don't cry. I have a lot of things planned for this story. *wink wonk*
> 
> Also, one of the spies was revealed. Most of you had already guessed Aphrodite was a traitor so there was no need hiding it anymore. Now there are three more goddesses left. Which one do you think betrayed Olympus? Hera, Athena or Demeter.
> 
> Don't forget to tell me what you think about this chapter.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> TripleHomicide.


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